Avengers: Endgame is the gift that keeps on giving, as Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn shared a video of his brother, Sean Gunn, playing Rocket Raccoon in the film. Rocket was introduced in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie and quickly became a fan favorite. Fans especially loved his relationship with tree humanoid Groot. There were even rumors that a Groot/Rocket series had been pitched to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige for Disney's upcoming service Disney+. Since his first appearance, Rocket has starred in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame.
Rocket will next be seen in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, though that film doesn't have a release date yet. At Comic-Con 2019, Feige confirmed that it's in development. Returning director Gunn later explained that he needs to finish DC's The Suicide Squad first. For how far away Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 may be, Marvel has released quite a bit of information about it. A few months back, Gunn stated that he's excited to finish Rocket's arc with the film, suggesting that something big happens to the character. A June report stated that part of that arc may involve a love interest, and that it's possible she'll be voiced by Lady Gaga. Gaga's inclusion would be especially exciting for fans, as it would reunite her with A Star is Born co-star Bradley Cooper, who provides the voice for Rocket.
Though film-goers hear Cooper's voice, Sean Gunn has done the on-set motion capture for Rocket each time. In the past, James Gunn has been adamant about the importance of his brother's work. In a video from 2017, Gunn explained, "Sean Gunn is not a stand-in. He is a motion reference actor...I don't stop doing takes of him until we get the performance right and then we use that performance as a basis for much of Rocket's acting." He also mentioned something specific that Sean Gunn brings to the role: physicality. Gunn elaborated, "Sean is able to physically do something most actors aren't able to do...the fact that he's able to waddle around on his legs all day long at the exact height of Rocket is quite a feat and quite, quite difficult." Check out Gunn's video of his brother in action below:
In addition to providing motion reference for Rocket, Sean Gunn did the same for Thanos in Guardians of the Galaxy. He also played live-action character Kraglin in Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2., and Avengers: Endgame. In his first appearance in the MCU, Kraglin was a villain and right-hand man to Yondu. He also accidentally started a mutiny with Taserface, but came to regret his actions. He then went on to help the Guardians in their battle against Ego. In Avengers: Endgame, Kraglin and his fellow Ravagers help the Avengers defeat Thanos.
With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 on the way, it seems likely that Gunn will reprise his roles as motion capture Rocket and Kraglin. Rocket will clearly be returning, and with Gunn playing the character on-set in every appearance so far, it only makes sense that he would do so again. Kraglin's return is less certain, though he left Avengers: Endgame alive, so it's a possibility. At any rate, fans should be excited that Gunn will return for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in some capacity.
Source: James Gunn
