With production very much underway here in the UK on Marvel and James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy, the biggest question mark still surrounding the project has of course been who will be taking on the role of Rocket Raccoon.
Vin Diesel recently revealed that he’d joined the project to lend his voice as Groot, the tree-like sentient being in the upcoming space-bound superhero blockbuster, which will fall directly before Avengers: Age of Ultron come 2014. And that left just one last spot left on the main roster of the Guardians: Rocket Raccoon.
Now Latino Review and The Wrap are reporting that the increasingly-prominent, ever-brilliant Bradley Cooper is in talks to voice the character, with an offer reportedly on the table from Marvel.
Chris Pratt leads the cast as the leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Peter Quill / Star-Lord. And he’s joined by Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, and hopefully now Bradley Cooper, with Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, Benicio del Toro, John C. Reilly, Ophelia Lovibond, and Glenn Close completing the cast nicely.
Gunn is directing from a script first written by Nicole Perlman and Chris McCoy, with Gunn doing a rewrite before a final polish by the studio’s go-to writers, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely.
After earning his first Oscar nomination at the start of the year for his standout performance in David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook, Cooper has most recently gone back to work with the director for his next film, American Hustle, which is sure to be another contender this year.
Having spent years seen largely as a comedic actor, Cooper made strong waves with his breakthrough leading performance in 2011’s Limitless, and he’s been taking bigger and better roles since then.
He gave an electric co-leading performance alongside Ryan Gosling and Dane DeHaan in Derek Cianfrance’s The Place Beyond the Pines – one that deserves earn Oscar nods for all involved – and has reunited with Jennifer Lawrence not only on the upcoming American Hustle but also Susanne Bier’s Serena, which could well be another contender come awards season.
The role of Rocket Raccoon would mark his first lending his voice as an animated character, and he certainly has a distinct and recognisable voice, which is ideal for such a unique part.
Guardians of the Galaxy is set to be released on August 1st, 2014, arriving in between Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron in Phase Two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
