Up until now, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) has served as the de facto main character in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. Not only is Pratt arguably the cast’s biggest star, but Quill is also the only human in the group, which makes him an easy audience surrogate. But Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is looking to flip the script, as director James Gunn has made it abundantly clear in recent interviews that Rocket Raccoon will be the focal point of the trilogy-ender.
Rocket takes center stage in Guardians Vol. 3
Speaking with Total Film this week, Gunn said that being able to tell the story of Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper) was what brought him back to the franchise.
“The most important thing for me was Rocket’s story, and then, following that, everybody else,” he explained. “Rocket is the secret protagonist of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and has always been the centre of it for me; and this is really fulfilling that. The reason I came back, and decided to do this movie, was because I really felt like Rocket’s story needed to be told – and it was left hanging after Vol. 2. So that’s the most important thing.”
Rocket experienced a great deal of personal growth throughout the Infinity Saga, culminating with his journey to Nidavellir alongside Thor and Groot to forge Stormbreaker. That said, there are still plenty of Rocket-shaped stones left unturned in the MCU, which Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 seems intent on fixing later this year.
While Gunn describes Vol. 3 as “totally self-standing,” he says that “it’s also the ending of a trilogy. The first movie is about the mother; the second movie is about the father; and the third movie is about the self. And that is what this journey is…”
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters on May 5, 2023.
