Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 director James Gunn recently revealed that Rocket (Bradley Cooper) has always been the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise's "secret" protagonist.
Gun explained why all three Guardians of the Galaxy installments really revolve around Rocket, and not their ostensible lead character Peter Quill/Star-Lord, (Chris Pratt) in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. "To me, Rocket has always been the secret protagonist of the Guardians movies," he said."From the beginning, it has been rooted in who he is as a character. I think he exemplifies a lot of the traits of all the Guardians. They've had all these traumas, and it brings them together. I just think that his [trauma] is more extreme than others."
Rocket's status as the unsung protagonist of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise is seemingly confirmed by the trailer for its upcoming third entry. The genetically modified raccoon features prominently in the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 trailer, which includes glimpses at his previously untold origin story. Rocket's girlfriend in the comics, Lylla, also appears briefly in the trailer, sparking speculation of a romantic subplot dedicated to the crotchety critter in the forthcoming sequel.
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There's considerable buzz online surrounding the identity of Lylla's as-yet-unannounced voice actor, too. A popular contender for the role was Oscar-winning musician and actor Lady Gaga, however, Gunn debunked this rumor in December 2022. Asked whether the name of the performer lending their vocals to Lylla began and ended with "ga," Gunn replied in the negative. Fans will therefore have to wait until closer to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's release to find out who is voicing Rocket's sentient otter other half.
Regardless of who plays Lylla, one thing is certain: Rocket himself will take center stage in the new movie. Gunn said as much in a previous interview, stating that he signed on for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 primarily to bring Rocket's arc to a close. "The reason why I needed to finish this is because I love the character of Rocket more than any character I’ve ever dealt with before, and I needed to finish his story and that is what [Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3] is about," he said. "I absolutely needed to do it, and I think we’ve done it in a spectacular way that I can’t wait for people to see."
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 arrives in theaters on May 5, 2023.
Source: EW