MCU: 10 Actors Who Redefined Their Characters
5. Bradley Cooper (Rocket Raccoon)
When the Guardians of the Galaxy concept was first shown to the masses as Marvel's next big film, everyone scratched their heads for numerous reasons. Almost all the characters were obscure c-list heroes in the canon, and beyond that, they were absolutely bonkers conceptually. One thing they harped on particularly was that one of them was a talking raccoon. A talking raccoon voiced by Bradley Cooper sounds like a joke. How were people supposed to take this seriously?
But like the great actor he is, Cooper found a way.
Known for playing charismatic, if a bit off-putting, man's men, Cooper strangely fits Rocket's role as the scrappy foil of the Guardians. His tough, crude exterior that masks an inner pain is exuded masterfully in the two Guardians films as Rocket, like the rest of the Guardians, is both hilarious and incredibly sympathetic. In particular, his performance in the second Guardians films transforms Rocket from a toyetic sidekick into the emotional core of the series as he digs deep into the trauma that has scarred him throughout his life.
Bradley Cooper will never show his face in the MCU, but with how he's portrayed Rocket, he doesn't have to.