Guardians Of The Galaxy: Groot's Powers And Abilities Explained
"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" provides a satisfying conclusion to its Marvel Cinematic Universe trilogy, bringing audiences closer than ever to its characters, specifically the beloved Groot (Vin Diesel). By the movie's closing moments, fans have finally spent enough time with the tree-like alien that they can understand him beyond his iconic "I am Groot" phrase. It's one of Groot's best moments in the MCU, and it could prompt some to want to know the character better.
Most of Groot's abilities stem from the wood that makes up his body. His bark is invulnerable to projectiles and fire, meaning he's a bulletproof tree. He can also control other plants, absorb them to strengthen himself, and extend any of his limbs, sprouting vines that can ensnare objects and enemies. As seen in the "Guardians" movies, he can regenerate as long as a piece of himself is properly planted. Groot also has superhuman strength and on a few occasions, has shown that he's capable of healing others.
He's generally been much larger within the pages of Marvel Comics, reaching 23 feet tall and weighing a few tons. The "Vol. 3" post-credits scene gives audiences a quick look at a fully grown Groot after he is older in "Guardians of the Galaxy," a baby in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," and a teenager in "Avengers: Infinity War."
Vin Diesel thinks Groot got a perfect ending in Vol. 3
Despite only saying three words for most of his MCU tenure, Groot will always be a highlight of Vin Diesel's career. Like audiences, the actor has built an emotional attachment to the alien, making the ending of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" as meaningful to him as it is to fans.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight about recording Groot's final words in "Vol. 3," Diesel said, "It was very cool because it meant that the audience [is] now able to understand the vernacular, the language of this Flora colossus. And that's a testament to the 10 years of loyalty, which we've been so blessed with in this franchise, with the Groot character and patience to have people wait that long, for 10 years, for someone just saying three monosyllabic words."
Unlike audiences, though, Diesel seems to have always known the meaning behind Groot's words, with the actor revealing at the red carpet premiere of "Guardians" that he was provided with additional context when he was recording his lines. And in a 2016 Facebook post, director James Gunn revealed the existence of a "special Groot version" of the script for "Vol. 2" that has all the character's lines in English so that Diesel would know exactly what he is saying.
At last, fans were given a peek behind the curtain at the end of "Vol. 3," when Groot tells the former Guardians, "I love you guys." While Groot could one day return to the MCU, it will be tough to one-up that final line and give the character a more fitting end than Gunn and Diesel did, with audiences finally understanding Groot as well as they do.