Guardians-of-the-Galaxys-Rocket-RaccoonLast week, early reports surfaced that Bradley Cooper had entered negotiations with Marvel to lend his voice for James Gunn’s upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy.

And over the weekend, the studio officially confirmed that Cooper has indeed joined the increasingly-brilliant ensemble cast, and that he’ll lend his voice as fan-favourite Rocket Raccoon.

The move marks the Oscar-nominated actor’s first voiceover role, and having become such a recognisable figure in recent years, with such a distinct voice, Marvel and Gunn look set to have a new fan-favourite character to add to the Marvel Cinematic Universe next year.

The blockbuster’s synopsis remains essentially under wraps, and the following logline is all we have to go on for the time being.

In the far reaches of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, an unlikely cast of characters including Peter Quill, Gamora, Drax, Groot and Rocket Raccoon must join forces to defeat a cosmic force of epic proportions.

Cooper was last seen in the final instalment in The Hangover Trilogy, and is coming off the back of one of his finest performances to date in Derek Cianfrance’s The Place Beyond the Pines opposite Ryan Gosling and Dane DeHaan. The start of the year saw him earn his first Oscar nomination in David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook, and he’s poised to return for the awards season once more with Susanne Bier’s Serena and Russell’s American Hustle both contenders for the Oscars.

Cooper joins a stellar cast, with Chris Pratt leading the Guardians as Peter Quill / Star-Lord, alongside Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, Benicio del Toro, John C. Reilly, Ophelia Lovibond, and Glenn Close.

Vin Diesel has of course recently been linked to the project as well, prior to Cooper’s announcement, with reports having him lending his voice opposite Cooper as Groot. The studio are yet to officially confirm that, but Diesel’s comments certainly suggest things are heading that way.

Production is already underway here in the UK. Gunn is at the helm, directing from a script by Nicole Perlman and Chris McCoy, with Gunn himself doing a rewrite before a final polish by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely.

Guardians of the Galaxy is set to be released on August 1st, 2014, falling directly before Joss Whedon’s hugely anticipated Avengers: Age of Ultron, due out on May 1st, 2015.

 

Rocket Raccoon has finally found his voice!

Academy Award-nominated actor Bradley Cooper has officially joined the cast of Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” lending his voice to the fan-favorite raccoon that will join Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and Drax (Dave Bautista) on their epic adventure.

Cooper has previously starred in “Silver Linings Playbook,” for which he was nominated for an Oscar®, “Limitless,” “Place Beyond the Pines” and the “Hangover” trilogy, the latter of which has grossed $1.4 billion globally. He will next be seen in “American Hustle” which will reunite him with “Silver Linings Playbook” director David O. Russell. “Guardians of the Galaxy” will mark Cooper’s first voiceover work.

In the far reaches of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, an unlikely cast of characters including Peter Quill, Gamora, Drax, Groot and Rocket Raccoon must join forces to defeat a cosmic force of epic proportions. Directed by James Gunn, the live-action “Guardians of the Galaxy” will take fans to new corners of the Marvel Universe when it hits theaters August 1, 2014, but in the meantime stay tuned to Marvel.com for the latest news as it breaks, including official casting, first looks and more!

In addition to “Guardians of the Galaxy,” Marvel Studios will release a slate of films based on the Marvel characters including “Thor: The Dark World” on November 8; “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” on April 4, 2014; “Avengers: Age of Ultron” on May 1, 2015; and “Ant-Man” on November 6, 2015.