James Gunn reveals how Rocket, Lylla, Floor, and Teefs came to life in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

When Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3. hit theaters, Marvel fans walked into the experience with an inkling that tears would be shed and hearts would be broken. It goes without saying that audiences have been deeply connected to Rocket for years, and knowing that we’d be peeling the curtains back on his past meant opening some wounds that would have been better left healed over with scar tissue.

You see, Rocket Raccoon might be a superhero, but his journey to becoming one first took him on a path of pain and experimentation at the hands of The High Evolutionary, and flashes of that storyline were enough to make tissues a requirement for the film, not just a strong suggestion. Fans know that Rocket wasn’t the only animal The High Evolutionary experimented upon and tortured, and a clip before Guardians Vol. 3 was released put a spotlight on his first group of friends, the ones he initially banded together and created a life with — Lylla, Floor, and Teefs.

Lylla, Floor, and Teefs stole our hearts from the very first preview, and James Gunn is giving fans a peek into how the most beloved animals in the galaxy came to be and the dedication it took to craft such amazing characters and storylines around them. When asked if the same actors who did the performance capture for the sweet animals were also their voice actors, Gunn said that they were, and he even gave us a behind-the-scenes peek at what it looked like on set to see them in action.

The whole experience looks incredible and paints the picture of the creativity and the depths of their faith in the final product being created. Of course, it was obvious that no actual animals would be used in the film, especially for a storyline such as this one — but it can’t be easy to see humans with markers on their bodies and imagine speaking to animals instead.

There’s a light in the eyes of the characters, and the most magical thing is that you can almost see in their eyes which characters they brought to life. When you’re so intricately linked to a project, it undoubtedly changes you; and you’d be hard-pressed to find someone unchanged by the Marvel realm as a whole and the most recently released Guardians Vol. 3. From the heroes to the villains and the beloved to the loathed — we’re eternally grateful for the dedication of actors who breathe life into characters we’ll keep with us forever.

In every scene that we get with the cutest animals in the galaxy, a lesson can be learned. They’d seen and experienced the most unfair and harsh of circumstances, and they still believed in something greater, something better. Lylla, Teefs, and Floor deserved the life they always dreamed of, but there’s something heartwarming (call it a silver lining) about them being able to dream it up together; it was almost as if they’d lived a version of it in their minds.

While our journey with Teefs, Lylla, and Floor was far too short, they’ll always be remembered. You can see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in theaters now.