Writer/director James Gunn has debunked a fan theory that Michael Rooker was flown out to the set of Avengers: Endgame to trick audiences into believing his character would survive past Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Having made his debut in Gunn's first Marvel Cinematic Universe project, Rooker's Yondu acted as both the alien abductor of Peter Quill and a father figure to the future hero of the galaxy. The character sacrificed his life in the climax of Vol. 2 to help Peter and the rest of the Guardians escape after defeating Ego the Living Planet.

Following the success of the first Guardians of the Galaxy film, Disney and Marvel Studios quickly got to work on the sequel after a lot of positive internal reception at the studios. Production got underway in February 2016 and wrapped that June while post-production, including reshoots, went up to just short of the film's 2017 release. While Yondu met his end in the film, the Guardians would carry on into both Avengers sequels and the in-production Thor: Love and Thunder.

Related: Why Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Needs To Finish Nebula's Arc

After poking fun on Twitter at a recent Dave Bautista interview in which the actor played coy about his involvement in Thor: Love and Thunder, a fan attempted to call Gunn out for supposedly taking a similar approach to keeping Rooker's fate a secret by flying him to the set of Endgame. However, Gunn has responded by debunking that theory and confirming the actor was at work on another Marvel project during the trip but fans ran with the theory. Gunn's comments can be read below:

The MCU fan base is rife with endless theories about how films, shows, amusement park rides, and more might connect to one another or how fan-favorite characters might survive or be introduced in the larger franchise. The dual production of Infinity War and Endgame was notorious for being the most secretive and protective of the series, with very few things leaking from the set. While the theory was certainly understandable at the time, Gunn's confirmation of Rooker's filming Mission: Breakout! footage for the Halloween special makes more sense, given that filming took place in early 2017 and the finished product debuted that October. The timeline certainly makes more sense for his brief appearance in Monsters After Dark than a proper inclusion in either Avengers film.

Even if Rooker had ended up appearing in one of the films, it would've required some time-shifting and emotionally-unwinding steps given his heartfelt sacrifice at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Not to mention, with the team already having their hands full trying to stop Thanos and Peter having to come to grips with the loss of Gamora, the last thing he needed was to be confronted with the grief from losing his father figure in Avengers: Endgame. Fans can at least look forward to Rooker and Gunn reuniting for the fifth time when The Suicide Squad hits theaters on August 6.

More: Why Rocket Lets Star-Lord Be Guardians Captain In Endgame, But Not Infinity War

Source: James Gunn/Twitter