Gushing that he's suitable for the role, the 'Walking Dead' actor promotes himself, 'If the fans want me as Rocket Raccoon, Marvel will listen to you guys, I think.'
- Oct 4, 2012
AceShowbiz - While Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" already seals its director, the project is still searching for the right actors to bring Rocket Raccoon, Star Lord, Groot, Drax the Destroyer and Gamora to life. Many actors have expressed their interests to join the project including Michael Rooker. The Merle Dixon of "The Walking Dead" admits that he'd like to play Raccoon in the highly-anticipated superhero movie.
"I love raccoons. Raccoons are my friends (Laughs)!" Rooker tells MovieWeb. Asked if he thinks he is perfect for the role, the Alabama native confidently responds, "Oh, yeah. Most certainly. I know that [director] James Gunn is doing it. He is directing it, and he is re-writing it. He is a very loyal director. He really appreciates the efforts that each actor puts into these roles."
The actor who previously teamed up with Gunn in 2006's "Slither" states, "And I would be very honored and pleased to work with James Gunn again... Whether it will happen or not, I don't know. But he is a dynamite guy, and we have remained friends ever since we worked together on 'Slither'."
Though admitting that he's currently very busy with "The Walking Dead", Rooker believes that he may end up being cast as Raccoon as long as there are fans' support for him. "I'm really crazy busy with 'The Walking Dead' right now. But you know what? Write this up. Tweet the f*** out of it. If the fans want me as Rocket Raccoon, Marvel will listen to you guys, I think, sometimes...," he says. "Perhaps I will be lucky and blessed enough to go in there, and go at it with Mr. Gunn again, who knows?"
Previously, it was Nathan Fillion who was rumored to be eyed for the big project especially because he had worked with Gunn before and he was Joss Whedon's favorite. However, the "Firefly" actor denied the report by claiming that he's already fully committed to "Castle".
"Guardians of the Galaxy" is a far-future story revolving around a group of alien beings - each the last of their kind - who eventually travel back in time to protect the earth from alien invasion. The script is written by Black List scribe Chris McCoy, while the film itself is set to arrive in the U.S. on August 1, 2014.
