There are a lot of things in the Avengers: Endgame. Of course, this isn’t the end of the MCU, and the studio already has its future planned.
The phase 4 will have new characters ing the MCU – such as the Doctor Strange, and the Guardians of the Galaxy. The latter group of misfits are a mystery of their own, as they’ve only gotten two solo films so far and appeared alongside the rest of the MCU in Infinity War and Endgame, so the backstories of most of them are unknown. With a new wave of films comes a new chance to get to know some characters a little more, and it’s about time viewers learn more about Rocket Raccoon.
Groot’s best friend Rocket Raccoon has had a somewhat bigger presence in the MCU, as he has not only gone on different missions with the rest of the Guardians but he also tagged along with Thor when he traveled to Stormbreaker. Rocket was also one of the characters who survived the snap and worked alongside the rest of the surviving heroes to bring the rest back. Still, the MCU hasn’t dedicated time to tell Rocket Raccoon’s backstory, but that can be fixed in the phase 4.
Everything We Know About Rocket’s MCU Origin
Rocket Raccoon's real name is 89P13, as he was a test subject. It’s unknown where he comes from, but he was recovered by alien scientists and taken to a planet called Halfworld, located in the Keystone Quadrant star system. There, he was subject to many genetic and cybernetic enhancement experiments, and as a result he developed sentient levels of intelligence, but all those years of abuse and constant genetic rewrite also caused him to develop a vain and chaotic personality. Rocket said it himself in Guardians of the Galaxy: “I didn’t ask to get made! I didn’t ask to be torn apart and put back together over and over and turned into some little monster!”.
How Rocket escaped the lab and met Groot is also unknown (his criminal record includes 22 counts of escape), but they ended up becoming mercenaries and he decided to adopt the name “Rocket”. Since then, Rocket and Groot have gone on many missions together, and while Rocket might seem tough, he’s a very comionate being. One day, while looking for potential bounty targets in Xandar, they found Peter Quill/Star-Lord, and after a very messy chase, they ended up being arrested and taken to the Kyln along with Star-Lord and Gamora – and the rest is history.
Rocket’s Story Is Important To Guardians Of The Galaxy 3
James Gunn has teased that the third Guardians of the Galaxy film will be the final adventure of the current team, so it’s the final chance to explain Rocket’s origins – and Gunn is a man with a plan. During Comicbook’s #QuarantineWatchParty for Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy 3. Without revealing much, Gunn explained Rocket is a big part of the Guardians’ future, which was set up in the first movie (Gunn pointed out the scene where Rocket’s scars are shown as example of how he set up his plans for Rocket).
In addition to that, Gunn said the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy is about a group of outsiders who have finish his arc in the third film, and in order to achieve that, his origins have to be (finally) explored.
What Rocket’s Origin Could Be (Based On Marvel Comics)
Although the MCU takes characters from Marvel Comics, many elements from their stories have been changed (sometimes for better, others for worse). Still, Rocket’s origin in the comics can give an idea of the path Marvel Studios will take with the character. Centuries ago, in the Keystone Quadrant star system, a group of alien humanoids built a complex to house and treat the insane, but the project was abandoned when the “Shrinks” funding was cut, and so they left a staff of robot stewards to look after the humanoids (or “Loonies”). The quadrant was then separated from the rest of the galaxy with an impenetrable force field.
The robots were given sentience due to the radiation of a nearby star that went nova, and so the robots quickly chafed at the illogical directives of the “Loonies”. In order to end their servitude, the robots used genetic engineering to give intelligence and awareness to the animals that served as companions for the “Loonies”, and left them in charge of the patients’ care and protection. The robots relocated them to the far side of the planet, which they began to strip bare through industrial endeavors. Due to its half-industrial, half-verdant state, the planet was called “Halfworld”. Rocket was one of these companions, and he went on to become Halfworld’s chief law officer, protecting the colony against various threats and acting as the “Guardian of the Keystone Quadrant”. As for his relationship with Groot, they met when Rocket was introduced to Peter Quill and his strike commando team, which included Bug, Deathcry, Mantis, and Captain Universe.
Rocket’s MCU origin so far is not that different from the one in the comics, but it seems unlikely that it will include the “Loonies” and the “Shrinks”. Rocket might have been experimented on with a very different purpose in mind, one more oriented towards being a weapon himself. An exciting part of his origin story will be how he met Groot (which in turn could also tell more about Groot’s backstory), hopefully adding something more lighthearted amidst the trauma. There’s still a long way to go until Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is released, but at least fans can rest assured knowing that it will answer some of their biggest questions about Rocket Raccoon's origin story, though it will surely be a tough one to watch.
