Sean Gunn Says He’s ‘Too Old’ and ‘Retired’ From Playing Rocket Raccoon in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’: It ‘Hurts After a While’

The actor explained that he feels he’s aged out of standing in for the Marvel character due to the physical demands of contorting himself into the shape of the small animal on a recent episode of The Brandon Davis Show. “Since I’ve turned 50 a couple of years ago, I am retired from playing Rocket,” he said. “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.” Eric Schrier Moves to Production Pact as Disney Shakes Up TV Leadership With Adam Smith Taking Full Oversight of Direct-to-Consumer Business Disney's Cathleen Taff Named President of Entertainment Studios and Consumer Products, Former DCP Head Lisa Baldzicki Shifts Into New Role He continued: “Everyone thinks it’s my knees, but it’s really my feet and my ankles. I’m in a catcher’s crouch, and I’m pivoting a lot on my points of contact with the ground. 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 also noted that it “hurts after a while.” Popular on Variety While Bradley Cooper famously voiced the character, it was Gunn who performed the aforementioned on-set motion capture for the animated raccoon. Gunn did this for the character in all three of the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies, the first of which premiered in 2014. The sequel, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” followed in 2017 and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” premiered in 2023. Rolling Stone Dolly Parton’s Estate Secures Restraining Order Against Nephew Over ‘Demands for Payment’ Robb Report Here’s a Glimpse of What the Long-Rumored Land Rover Defender Pick-Up Truck May Look Like Sportico ‘We Blew It.’ Key Dem Hill Staffer Laments Party’s Role in PCSA Passage