Gamora’s back, Drax is the chopping block favorite, and Star-Lord is spearheading the group once again in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
However, if mastermind James Gunn has made one thing clear, it’s that all eyes are going to be on Rocket Raccoon, the secret protagonist of the franchise-within-a-franchise and the linchpin of the team’s imminent clash with the High Evolutionary.
Indeed, the trigger-happy mammal hasn’t exactly had the best hand dealt to him, as we’ll discover during the events of Vol. 3, and we don’t imagine our tear ducts will have any easier of a time learning about Rocket’s past than he will revisiting it.
The plight of Rocket isn’t just restricted to the MCU canon; bringing the character to life behind the scenes was no small effort, either, even for Sean Gunn, who’s been providing motion-capture performances for Rocket ever since the first Guardians.
In an interview with ComicBook, Gunn remarked on the new challenges that came with capturing the appearance of Rocket in Vol. 3, noting how his portrayal of a younger iteration posed a much greater emotional challenge than he’s used to facing with the character.
“Fortunately, a lot of the toughest Rocket scenes were the very first things we shot so the stuff with Lylla and the other friends from Rocket’s past, we did the motion reference for that stuff right away. Those are the first things and so kind of got through the hardest stuff first because that stuff is really emotional.”
Gunn also revealed how he ended up doubling his Rocket duties by loaning his voice to the younger version of the character for some scenes, which only compounded the aforementioned challenge exponentially.
“There’s a sequence for when young Rocket is sort of asking about the sky to the High Evolutionary. That is actually my voice, which hadn’t been done in any of the previous movies. I mean, it’s just part of the gig like anything else. It’s like you and me going back and figuring out who this guy is and where he came from and oh, it’s heart wrenching but it’s good.”
One thing is for sure; all that effort is going to pay off spectacularly. With all signs pointing to a triumphant last ride for the Guardians, it’s safe to say that all the talent behind Rocket, from Bradley Cooper to the Gunn brothers, hit all all the right notes and more. All that’s left now is to wait for Rocket and company to gun for the High Evolutionary’s head whilst we stock up on tissue boxes.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will release to cinemas on May 5.