One of the most unsung heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is moving on. Sean Gunn, who’s done the motion capture for Rocket in all three Guardians of the Galaxy films, is hanging up his motion capture suit, saying he’s ready to pass the baton to whoever’s next and further solidifying the idea that the cinematic universe is in a transition period.
While most people equate the silver pipes of Bradley Cooper with the character, Gunn does all of the heavy lifting for the Rocket, literally. He does all of Rocket’s movements and he delivers all of Rocket’s lines on the set during filming. Cooper presumably pops open a Bud heavy in a hammock in Mexico and delivers his lines into his iPhone.
Obviously kidding, but I think we can all agree that Cooper has the easier job of the two. In an interview with Comicbookmovie.com, Gunn shared just how he feels about his legacy and why he feels like it’s time to move on. Gunn, who is six feet tall (Rocket is 3 feet 1 inch in the MCU and 4 feet in the comics), had some particular physical challenges he had to deal with as the character.
“I’m fortunate that I’m very limber and I can squat down and get to where Rocket needs to be,” Gunn said. “I always wanted the other actors, when they looked at Rocket, to be looking into a pair of eyes and not a ball on a stick or an empty space. I just try to get my face to wherever Rocket’s face would be in the scene, whatever it took to do that.”
You’ve got to admire his commitment to the craft, at the very least.
“It can be really challenging,” he said. “That’s why … from a physical standpoint, I’m going to have to retire.” Time gets us all. Gunn said he was “going to be 50 pretty soon and some of the squatting and moving around is getting a little hard on my ankles and feet.”
I get it. I’m 5 foot 7, and I would rather leave my shoes untied than bend, although that’s probably just me being incredibly unathletic. It’s also important to note that in addition to doing mocap for Rocket, Gunn plays a real-life character named Kraglin, who joined the team at the end of Vol. 3, so there’s a good chance we’ll see him again in that form.
Check out the full interview with Gunn below.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now playing in theaters.
Published: May 17, 2023 02:51 pm