Guardians of the Galaxy 3 teases Rocket's life being in danger

Is Bradley Cooper's whiskered badass on his way out?

By Dan Seddon

8 Feb 2023

guardians of the galaxy's rocket raccoon

Marvel Studios

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 has an official synopsis to dig into.

Ahead of the trilogy-closer's release this spring, fans of the MCU's weirdest bunch of superheroes should prepare themselves for a future without Bradley Cooper's wisecracking Rocket Raccoon.

"Our beloved band of misfits are settling into life on Knowhere, but it isn't long before their lives are upended by the echoes of Rocket's turbulent past," the synopsis begins.

"Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him on a dangerous mission to save Rocket's life — a mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them."

This echoes previous comments from director James Gunn, who shared when he returned from a brief firing: "Rocket is me, he really is, even if that sounds narcissistic. I relate to Rocket and I feel compassion for Rocket, but I also feel like his story has not been completed.

"[Rocket] has an arc that started in the first movie, continued into the second and goes through [Avengers] Infinity War and Endgame, and then I was set to really finish that arc in Guardians 3. That was a big loss to me – not being able to finish that story."

Marvel Studios

Whether or not Vol 3 really does kill off our ferocious whiskered friend, actor Chris Pratt has promised that the movie itself is a "true masterpiece".

"It's fantastic. James Gunn just watched a rough assembly the other day. I called him yesterday. We Facetimed, and he's very, very proud of the work that everyone's done. He said it's the best work all of us have ever done," he teased last summer.

"The script was amazing and I can say with utter confidence that he's made a true masterpiece, and I just cannot wait for people to see it."

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1 and Vol 2 and the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special are streaming on Disney+. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 arrives in cinemas on May 5.