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One-of-a-Kind: Rocket Raccoon

Just a few more weeks and the long wait for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will be over. The Guardians will be getting into some more crazy, galactic trouble as usual.  Naturally, our favourite anthropomorphic explosive-crazy raccoon will be there with all his usual sarcastic bravado and ability to MacGyver the most awesome things out of thin air.

As we know from the first movie, Rocket is not comfortable with other beings/aliens/people. This is because he was created due to the experimentation on one of the planets, which is where he met Groot in the first place. Despite his yelling and tactless nature, Rocket’s a very lonely character because as he says “ain’t no thing like me.”

By the end of the first movie, he found a place with the Guardians, but with the new movie, it seems like Rocket will be going through a crisis of faith. Does he really belong with the Guardians? I think because others looked down on him for so long that he’s used to be rejected. Maybe he suspects with the arrival of Peter’s biological father Ego that Peter will leave the Guardians and the team will break up.  He does not want to lose another family. For a character like Rocket, finding where one belongs is an important arc.

The one constant part of Rocket and his character is his bond with Groot. In the first movie, fully grown Groot was Rocket’s protector. Since Groot’s sacrifice and rebirth, the roles were reversed. Rocket is the protector of Baby Groot, like a big brother to a little brother. Baby Groot is young and dumb, after all. The epic scene of the conversation about the bomb switch is just a taste of what I’m sure is going to be hilarious interactions between the two characters.

I also suspect that Rocket will butt heads with Quill, Gamora and Drax like in the last movie, because Rocket is an abrasive character (yet lovable in his own way). Rocket’s not a diplomat and maybe he’s the cause of the incident with those aliens they meet in one of the trailers? Who knows? If it’s not Rocket, it’ll be one of the other Guardians, be it just because of Gamora’s presence or Quill’s natural by-the-seat-of-his-pants behavior and foot-in-mouth approach, or Drax’s basic obliviousness. Rocket’s a fun character. Other than Baby Groot, he’s my other favorite in the Guardians franchise.

The amount of trouble and chaos that this little guy can cause is just so epic and funny. I wouldn’t want to fight him. A lot of Star Lord’s plans ultimately fall though (considering they are 12% of a plan most of the time). Rocket is the man with the backup plan or rather, bombs or missiles. Rocket’s backup is always to blow something up or shoot at it.

Rocket is an awesome and nuanced character. I really can’t wait to see what stuff he gets up to in the upcoming movie.  What do you think about Rocket in the upcoming sequel? Do you think that Rocket will finally accept that he belongs with the Guardians? Sound off in the comments or send us your thoughts on Twitter!

About the author

Dara Berkey

Superhero nerd. History nerd. Favorite personal hero--Shazam/The Original Captain Marvel. Favorite female hero--Any of the Batgirls. Favorite male hero, other than Shazam--Any of the Robins.