James Gunn teases mores of Rocket Raccoon’s origin in future MCU movies

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) has stolen many a scene in the two GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY movies, but we still don't know all that much about how the genetically and cybernetically enhanced lil' critter came to be. We've seen the handiwork of the alien scientists in Rocket's cybernetic implants, and Rocket himself has commented on his own existence, saying "I didn't ask to get made! I didn't ask to be torn apart and put back together over and over again and turned into some little monster!" Those of you who are hungry to find out where Rocket came from will be pleased to know that explanations of his origin are on the way.

While speaking at HASCON, Hasbro's own convention, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 writer/director James Gunn teased that we'll be learning more of Rocket's origins in future MCU movies.

As you know, the MCU is one way of processing these characters. 616 is a different one. We are going to learn more about where Rocket comes from in the coming sagas. It’s going to be a little different from the comics. We already know a lot about from where he came from. It’s a little bit more horrible than what it is in the comics when you come down to it. We will learn more about that.

In the comics, and I'm going by Wikipedia here because I'm like Sgt. Schultz when it comes to paper and ink superheroes, Rocket Racoon, along with other animals, was genetically manipulated to gain human level intelligence and bipedal body construction by a group of newly sentient robots at an abandoned colony for the mentally ill in order to become caretakers of the inmates. That's a mouthful. Other than saying "the coming sagas," James Gunn didn't specify when Rocket's new "horrible" origin story will come to play, which means that it could drop in anywhere, from AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR to GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 or even a Rocket Racoon spin-off movie. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 is now available on DVD/Blu-ray/4K Ultra HD.

Is Rocket's origin something that even needs to be explained? Or would you prefer that it be left vague and mysterious?