Rocket Raccoon’s heartbreaking backstory will finally be revealed in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Viewers of the Guardians film have seen glimpses of what Rocket (Bradley Cooper) must have gone through to become a bipedal talking raccoon, but this film looks to be taking viewers along for the journey as a four-legged mammal becomes one of the biggest heroes in the universe.
The Guardians of the Galaxy films have not be shy about killing off characters. The first film killed off Groot (Vin Diesel), and the second film killed off Yondu (Michael Rooker). Thanos (Josh Brolin) killed Gamora (Zoe Saldana) during Avengers: Infinity War, so it is very likely someone will die in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Many viewers are left under the assumption that this film will be the end of Rocket’s journey, but we believe his story isn’t quite over just yet. While Rocket hasn’t been a villain, witnessing him becoming a changed man (raccoon) shouldn’t be rushed.
10. Would be too soon
After all this time, we will just now be discovering Rocket’s backstory, so it would be too soon to kill him off. After fully fleshing out the character, he needs a couple more movies under his belt before sacrificing him in a shocking way. Yondu’s death and funeral in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was one of the saddest deaths in movie history, so Rocket’s future demise should be on par or even more shocking and sad than an anti-hero’s death.
9. With all the sadness in the flashbacks, it would be too sad
The flashback sequences in the trailer are gut-wrenching and there are probably even more that will be featured in the film. With so much sadness surrounding Rocket’s torture at the hands of The High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), his death would kind of lose its impact. If we’re already crying because of his torture, his death wouldn’t make a difference.
8. We need to see him taunting Bucky
In The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, Nebula (Karen Gillan) gifted Rocket Bucky’s arm, so there has to be a scene in an upcoming movie that shows him taunting the Winter Soldier about his vibranium arm. Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), through no fault of his own, did bad things, but has finally started finding redemption for all his past misdeeds. Viewers love great redemptions arcs and Bucky’s journey isn’t over yet. Although Rocket hasn’t committed crimes as severe as Bucky’s, he should also go through a redemption arc for all his past mistakes.
7. Lady Lylla
Not much, well anything, has been shown about Rocket’s past up until now. Besides a blink-and-you-miss-it moment in Guardians of the Galaxy that listed Groot and Lylla as Rocket’s known associates, Lylla’s place in Rocket’s story has been non-existent. Non-comic book readers have no idea about Rocket’s relationship with Lady Lylla or the trouble they get into together in the comics. It would be kind of a waste of a story and a great character if Rocket dies before his relationship with the beautiful talking otter is explored. Besides that, Star-Lord and Gamora’s relationship is over, so Rocket finding his true love would give viewers a couple to ship.
6. Blackjack O’Hare
Blackjack O’Hare is a talking rabbit who just happens to be Rocket’s nemesis. We haven’t seen him featured in any of the movies yet, so that could be an upcoming storyline if Rocket survives the events of this movie. Blackjack is a mercenary and the leader of the Black Bunny Brigade. Rocket’s storyline with The High Evolutionary will take center stage, so they probably won’t have time to introduce Blackjack O’Hare, but it could prove to be an important storyline for the future.
5. He can captain his own ship
It seems like Rocket wants nothing more than to captain his own ship. By the end of the film, Rocket leading his own ship would be a great callback to all the times he has insisted that he is the captain of the Milano, not Star-Lord.
4. He would be a great leader for the Guardians
Along the lines of Rocket captaining his own ship could be him leading the next version of the Guardians of the Galaxy. He is a clear leader and needs time to shine.
3. We need a space heist
Rocket is an expert thief and while we have seen him steal here and there, they need to do a full-fledged movie where he leads the Guardians on a space heist. A space heist to find something to defeat Kang (Jonathan Majors) in the upcoming Avengers: The Kang Dynasty would be epic.
2. Shocket
In the Marvel comics, Rocket spent time as a prisoner of the Collector’s. During his time in captivity, the Collector used Rocket’s DNA to create a clone of Rocket that he called Shocket. The Collector used Howard the Duck’s female clone to reproduce with Shocket and create a new species. This storyline has not come to pass and would make for an interesting storyline in the future.
1. He is the real protagonist
While it would naturally seem like Star-Lord is the protagonist of Guardians of the Galaxy, Rocket’s importance to the Guardians cannot be diminished. Just think, during Avengers: Infinity War, the main Avengers were spared during the Snap, as was Rocket. Like the other main characters, Rocket is the only member of the Guardians who survived, singling him out as the most important member of that team. Since he is the real protagonist of the story, it would seem unlikely for James Gunn to kill him off right after his story really gets going.