When Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was met with good reviews and lots of love from fans, it was partly because of Rocket’s emotional backstory being at the center of the film. Throughout the movie, we learn about the other creatures the beloved talking raccoon grew up with and the absolutely horrific fates they met. That moment is what changed Rocket’s life forever, and seeing him react to his friends’ deaths was an emotional moment. Now, Bradley Cooper, the voice behind the character, has opened up about working on that scene, and he explained how his father’s death impacted his performance.
For Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, James Gunn promised big things for Rocket, and he delivered. Finding out how the raccoon became who we know him to be was such a touching and tragic journey. When it came to voicing the part, Bradley Cooper also found it incredibly emotional and personal. While on The Howard Stern Show, the Oscar-nominated actor opened up about playing the role this time around, and he specifically spoke about the scene where Rocket sees his friends die. For him, it reminded him of when his father passed away, as he explained:
In this last one… I actually cried like crazy watching it, and when we did it, there’s a scene where he loses his friend, and the sound that Rocket makes, the only thing that I could even relate it to is the sound I remember hearing my own voice when my dad passed away. There’s something that you hear. And I remember when we did it in the sound stage… There was some deep truth to the sound that came out of my mouth, and I think that’s part of why that moment in that movie is kind of like, 'holy shit.'
Honestly, hearing the story behind this moment makes it even sadder. Experiencing loss is universal, and so is the deep pain we feel when it happens. When Cooper performed this moment, he couldn’t help but relate it back to when his own father died in 2011, which makes total sense. His performance was beautiful in the first place, however, this explanation made it even more meaningful.
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Right when this project came out on the 2023 movie schedule, the Maestro star said that playing Rocket was “really emotional” and “surprising.” He noted that the film would make fans see the Guardian in “a different light,” and he was right. Learning about the creature’s relationship with the other animals The High Evolutionary was experimenting on provided a deep look into what made Rocket, Rocket. Then, when he lost them, it became very clear why he is so guarded and persistent about keeping his family safe today.
Along with this one scene, Bradley Cooper gave an incredible performance throughout the film as the older version of Rocket. James Gunn once called the raccoon the “secret protagonist” of the franchise, and GOTG Vol. 3 really showed off the hero's journey the beloved character has been on.
While it’s unclear if Rocket or any of the Guardians will pop into any of the upcoming Marvel movies, this third installment in The Guardians of the Galaxy saga provided us with closure to the character’s first chapter in a very emotional way. To go back and see the scene Bradley Cooper was referencing and his personal performance during it, you can stream Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – along with all the Marvel movies in order – with a Disney+ subscription.
