2) Rocket Raccoon
It’s no surprise that Rocket Raccoon is fairly high on this list. Let’s face it, a trash talking, gun toting, roguish raccoon is probably the very thing that sold the film to mainstream audiences. Seriously, who the hell WOULDN’T have their interest piqued from such a thing?
Underneath the surface though, Rocket Raccoon is an emotionally charged character full of insecurities and a bleak back-story. He isn’t just some raccoon that was born with the ability to talk, but rather a creature born from an experiment. As such, you begin to understand why he’s such a d*** to pretty much every other character in the movie.
Coming into Guardians Of The Galaxy, one of the things viewers probably least expected was to walk away a bit saddened by his upbringing. The juxtaposition between the scene where he’s drunk – just another reason to go see the movie – spilling out his heartfelt sober thoughts, and an action sequence where he’s riding Groot while shooting a machine gun is pretty jarring, but that’s the magic of having a director like James Gunn. He knows how to put those together without coming across as stupid.
Bradley Cooper also deserves credit for being the perfect casting choice. Over the years Cooper has diversified into an actor capable of pulling off both comedy (The Hangover) and drama (The Place Beyond The Pines); clearly a necessity when bringing Rocket Raccoon to life.
