‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Star Officially Retires From MCU Role for Good
Marvel Studios is in the middle of a recovery. After several uneven years marked by a crowded slate of Disney+ series and films that struggled to connect with audiences, the studio is heading toward a major year-end release with the Russo Brothers’ Avengers: Doomsday (2026). For one of its most popular teams, however, the road ahead looks increasingly uncertain.
A Reset Built on Doom
Doomsday follows Destin Daniel Cretton’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026), which broke records with Tom Holland returning as Peter Parker/Spider-Man alongside Zendaya’s MJ. The Avengers film will reunite many characters from across the MCU and introduce a new primary villain: Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom.
Downey Jr.’s Victor Von Doom replaces Kang the Conqueror at the center of the franchise. The Russos and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige have framed Doomsday and its sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars (2027), as a fresh start for the MCU.
The X-Men are central to that reset. Their arrival gained momentum at this year’s D23 Expo, where new casting was revealed: Maya Boyd and Inde Navarrette will join Sadie Sink’s Jean Grey as Ororo Munroe/Storm and Rogue, respectively.
Where the Guardians Were Left
Despite the size of the Doomsday ensemble, the Guardians of the Galaxy do not appear in it. That absence stands out given how much of their story remains unfinished.
James Gunn concluded his trilogy three years ago with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), but he did not close every door. Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill/Star-Lord went back to Earth, and a post-credits scene promised his return. Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), and Drax (Dave Bautista) remained in different corners of the galaxy.
Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper/Sean Gunn) and Groot (Vin Diesel) took the opposite path, assembling a new team of Guardians. The film’s final scenes showed that group, including Cosmo the Spacedog (Maria Bakalova) and Adam Warlock (Will Poulter), setting out on its next assignment.
Rocket’s Other Half Steps Away
Whether audiences ever see that team again is an open question, and the pool of returning actors keeps getting smaller. Dave Bautista has been clear that he is finished with Drax. Now Sean Gunn has confirmed his own retirement.
Gunn has played Kraglin Obfonteri since the first Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014. He has also been the physical performer behind Rocket, providing motion capture for the character while Cooper supplied the voice. Gunn’s performance carried through Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
The Los Angeles Times summarized the news plainly: “Sean Gunn has no plans to continue his motion capture role for Guardians of the Galaxy character Rocket Raccoon.”
Speaking on The Brandon Davis Show (via the LA Times), Gunn said the physical strain of the role was the deciding factor.
“I think it had a little bit of an effect on my physiology. My knees are fine, but since I turned 50 a couple of years ago, I am retired from playing Rocket,” he said. “I don’t think I can do the motion reference anymore for Rocket. I think I’m too old.”
Gunn’s career outside Marvel has continued. He moved to DC Studios to play Maxwell Lord in Superman (2025), directed by his brother James Gunn.
Why the Guardians Still Matter
Rocket can be performed by someone else, but losing one of the people who shaped the character on set is another sign that the original Guardians era is ending. The question for Marvel is whether that era has a future at all.
The case for bringing the team back is strong. As the Multiverse Saga winds down and a single unified timeline appears all but certain to return, the Guardians remain a proven draw. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 grossed $845.5 million worldwide, per Box Office Mojo, despite a weak post-pandemic box office and a rough stretch for Marvel in theaters.
The timing made that result more impressive. Vol. 3 opened only a few months after Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), starring Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, which performed poorly with critics and at the box office. In that context, the Guardians showed that audiences still turned out for characters they cared about.
For now, Marvel has not indicated whether the Guardians will be part of its fresh start. With Bautista and now Gunn both stepping away, any revival would arrive without some of the people who helped make the team a success.
How do you feel about the current state of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Let us know in the comments below.
