In Despicable Me, Gru plans to steal the Moon.
Gru’s central scheme is to use a shrink ray to reduce the Moon and bring it back to Earth. The plan is presented as the ultimate achievement for a supervillain, especially after another villain, Vector, steals the Great Pyramid of Giza. Gru seeks financial backing for the operation and obtains help from Dr. Nefario and his Minions.
The Moon heist drives the film’s early plot, but it becomes less important as Gru grows attached to Margo, Edith, and Agnes. He adopts the girls as part of a scheme involving Vector’s cookie business, then gradually begins treating them as his family rather than as tools.
The Moon is not actually stolen permanently in the story. Gru’s changing priorities and the film’s final conflict shift the focus toward rescuing the girls. The exaggerated plan is a classic example of the franchise combining comic villainy with a family-centered emotional arc.