Why Is James Gunn Hanging Out With A Raccoon?
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While production on Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy isn’t due to begin until the end of the month, the film’s writer and director James Gunn is busy trying to nail down the cosmic team of peacekeepers. With the casting of Chris Pratt as the leader of the superhero team Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana as the deadliest woman in the galaxy Gamora, and Dave Bautista as the resurrected Drax The Destroyer, there is still a big question mark surrounding who would play the team’s non-humanoid members, namely the treelike alien Groot and the anthropomorphized raccoon Rocket Raccoon.
According to Cinema Blend, James Gunn uploaded an image of him playing with a real-life raccoon; believed to be used as a guide for the visual artists’ renderings of Rocket Raccoon. Gunn joked with the images caption, “I’ve just hired a new gaffer for the shoot. Chewing on wires is good, right?”
Whether or not Rocket Raccoon would be as realistic as the real raccoon model remains to be seen, but early concept art of the expert marksman and master tactician make Rocket Raccoon seem somewhat cartoony. There’s really no getting around it, Guardians of the Galaxy will be featuring a talking raccoon. Maybe James Gunn can just keep this furry lil’ guy in the film instead of getting an actor to voice a CGI character.
As for the superhero film itself, Marvel has recently cast Academy Award-winner Benicio del Toro in the forthcoming cosmic comic book movie. While Marvel didn’t disclose whom del Toro would play in the film, it is believed that he would either play the Mad Titan Thanos or one of the Elders of the Universe, The Collector.
Benicio del Toro will join Academy Award-nominated Glenn Close, who will play the leader of the Nova Corps; Doctor Who‘s Karen Gillan and Pushing Daisies’ Lee Pace, who are both playing unspecified villains. It seems as if Guardians of the Galaxy has more casting secrets than Star Trek Into Darkness.
Guardians of the Galaxy will hit theaters everywhere on August 1, 2014, in 3D. Check out early concept art of Rocket Raccoon below:
