Since being introduced, Rocket Raccoon has become one of the most complex characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While fans of the comics knew of his hair-trigger temper and love of big guns, the movies added even more to his history by giving just enough information on his past. Now, with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 set to fully explore his origins, it's given fans cause to believe this could be Rocket Raccoon's final movie. But the character's arc, whether he lives or dies, wouldn't have worked without the inspiration Bradley Cooper gained from an iconic movie character.
Before Cooper took on the role of Rocket Raccoon, there wasn't a set voice for the character. In fact, Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes portrayed him with a Scottish accent. However, with Cooper's influence, he becomes more of a wise guy with a desire to create massive explosions and does what's necessary to get his job done. But this cavalier and unpredictable personality was, as explained by Cooper, born from the character of Tommy DeVito in the hit Martin Scorsese film Goodfellas.
Who Was Tommy DeVito in GoodFellas?
Joe Pesci's Tommy DeVito was a creation inspired by real-life mobster Tommy DeSimone. Though many physical characteristics were altered, however, their temper was what made them similar. In Goodfellas, Tommy was close with Henry Hill and Jimmy Conway, and the three were often seen spending time together. While Tommy was known to be loyal to his friends and family, he had a wickedly short temper that often led to explosive results.
In Goodfellas, Tommy shoots and kills a young man who stands up for himself against Tommy's constant taunting. Tommy also beats a man to death when he is insulted in a public place. As he and Jimmy try to hide the body, Tommy only shows remorse for getting blood on his friend Henry's floor. Because of this behavior as well as his lightspeed switch from having a good time to blind fury, it made perfect sense why Cooper would base Rocket's personality in Guardians of the Galaxy on the character.
Bradley Cooper's Inspiration Helped Make Rocket a More Compelling Character
With Tommy DeVito as the basis for Rocket's characterization, it's helped drive why Rocket is the team's emotional center. In the first movie, he was shown as a character who trusted no one except for Groot and only lived for the next payday. Everyone set him off, and he wasn't afraid to take a life at the slightest inconvenience. That said, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 showed a huge change in his character where his anger may not always lead to murder, but he did think he was better than everyone else. This behavior tied into the Napoleon complex Tommy had in Goodfellas.
By Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Rocket had mellowed out considerably from his first appearance, and that wouldn't have been possible had he not come across so abrasive in his debut. Like Tommy DeVito, Rocket was a hard individual to care for because he actively pushed everyone that tried to care away. Nevertheless, by spending time dissecting this behavior, both Rocket and the audience got to see why he isolated himself and how he learned to care again. As a result, Tommy became a great start to an amazing journey and was the perfect chance for Cooper and the audience to witness an amazing shift in his character over nearly a decade.
To see how far Rocket has come as a character, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 blasts into theaters on May 5, 2023.