Before stepping into his current role as co-head of DC Studios, James Gunn took special care in how his Guardians of the Galaxy characters were used outside of his own films. According to him, one Guardian in particular was consistently written wrong by other Marvel writers.
On a recent episode of the DC Studios Showcase Official Podcast, Gunn opened up about Rocket Raccoon, the character he feels most connected to and the one he believes was often misunderstood in other MCU projects.
“I would get scripts with Rocket in them that didn’t match how I understood [the hero]. That character was my soul. So I would always make sure that his voice always made sense, that what he did always made sense.”
Rocket, voiced by Bradley Cooper and physically performed by Sean Gunn, was first introduced in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Over time, the wisecracking, genetically engineered raccoon became one of the emotional anchors of the trilogy.
While we got glimpses of his trauma in the first two films, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 put Rocket’s painful past front and center, his abuse at the hands of the High Evolutionary, the loss of his closest friends, and his eventual transformation into the team’s leader.
It makes sense that Gunn would want to protect Rocket. His arc is arguably the most complete and personal in the trilogy, culminating in Vol. 3’s heartbreaking and empowering conclusion.
So when other MCU films like Avengers: Infinity War, Endgame, or even Thor: Love and Thunder used Rocket in supporting roles, Gunn would step in to make sure the character’s actions and voice remained consistent.
“They’ve got to be true to the character, especially if it’s a character that I originated on film.”
This shows us just how protective Gunn is about his characters. But, now that he’s at DC, Marvel won’t have his guildance moving forward, which means Rocket will lose what makes Rocket, well.. Rocket.
Rocket wasn’t just comic relief. He was the emotional spine of the Guardians.
Now that Gunn has crossed over to DC, he’s bringing that same character-driven attention to detail to his new slate of films. But for longtime Marvel fans, it’s clear that a little piece of his soul will always belong to Rocket.
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