Actor Sean Gunn has declared that he is retired from providing the on-set motion capture performance for Rocket Raccoon in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise. Speaking on a recent episode of “The Brandon Davis Show,” Gunn explained that the physical rigors of the role have become too demanding following his recent 50th birthday.
“Since I’ve turned 50 a couple of years ago, I am retired from playing Rocket,” Gunn stated. “Not that they’ve called. But if they did, I don’t think that I could do the motion reference anymore for Rocket. I think I’m too old.”
While the character is voiced by Bradley Cooper, Gunn was responsible for the motion capture work that defined Rocket’s movements across all three “Guardians of the Galaxy” films released in 2014, 2017, and 2023. Gunn described the physical requirements of the performance, noting that it involves a catcher’s crouch with significant pivoting on the points of contact with the ground.
“Everyone thinks it’s my knees, but it’s really my feet and my ankles,” he said. “I’m doing a lot of pivoting in my ankles and feet. And over the years, I think it had a little bit of an effect on my physiology.” He added that the activity causes pain that accumulates over time, stating simply, “It hurts after a while.”
Beyond the role of Rocket, Gunn has portrayed Marvel character Kraglin Obfonteri in multiple MCU projects, including “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” “Avengers: Endgame,” “Thor: Love and Thunder,” “The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special,” and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.”
Fifty isn’t old for most things, but twisting your ankles on set every day is brutal work.
Bradley Cooper voiced him, but Gunn’s movements gave Rocket all the soul. Sad to see him go.
Wait, does this mean we won’t see him as Kraglin anymore? Or just the Rocket part?
Such a bittersweet moment! The physical toll on motion capture actors is rarely discussed enough.