Sean Gunn Says He Is Retired From Rocket Motion Work

Sean Gunn says he considers himself retired from performing the motion-reference work for Rocket Raccoon, citing the physical strain of the role, but Marvel has not asked him to stop. Gunn said he does not think he could do the work if asked to return. Speaking on The Brandon Davis Show, Gunn described repeatedly crouching low and pivoting on his feet and ankles while portraying the character for filming. He said the movements had affected him over time and that the work hurt after a while. He specified that his knees were fine; his feet and ankles were the main problem. Gunn said he had turned 50 a few years ago and was retired from playing Rocket. He did not say that Marvel had made a casting or production decision, and his comments addressed his own motion-reference performance rather than the character’s future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Gunn performed motion-capture or physical-reference work for Rocket in the Guardians of the Galaxy films, while Bradley Cooper voiced the character. Rocket was a central figure in the trilogy, which concluded with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in 2023. Gunn also played Kraglin in the films.