James Gunn is back in the director's chair for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but for a while, it seemed like that wasn't going to happen after he was fired from the project. Disney would eventually rehire him though, and in a new interview he opened up about the fallout and eventual return, including what he was going to miss most about not working on Guardians Vol. 3, the end to his Guardians trilogy. Gunn loves all of the Guardians, but there is one that sits above the others, and for him, that's Rocket Raccoon.

"When you asked me what was saddest for me when I thought it was gone—and anybody at Marvel can tell you—it’s this very strange and attached relationship to Rocket," Gunn told Deadline. "Rocket is me, he really is, even if that sounds narcissistic. Groot is like my dog. I love Groot in a completely different way. I relate to Rocket and I feel compassion for Rocket, but I also feel like his story has not been completed. He has an arc that started in the first movie, continued into the second and goes through Infinity War and Endgame, and then I was set to really finish that arc in Guardians 3. That was a big loss to me—not being able to finish that story—though I was comforted by the fact that they were still planning to use my script."

Now Gunn gets to finish out Rocket's arc in the original way, and the character's had a great deal of screen time thanks to Avengers: Infinity War and now Avengers: Endgame, which explored the loss of his Guardians family and their reunion. It will be interesting to see where Gunn takes Rocket next, but the rest of the crew holds interesting questions as well.

After Endgame we know Gamora returned, but not the Gamora we lost in Infinity War. This Gamora is from a time before she ever met the Guardians and fell in love with Star-Lord, so we know the hunt for her will figure into the third film. Groot is also not the same after growing from Baby Groot to Teen Groot, and we figure he'll be an older Groot in Vol. 3. Yondu is also not around anymore after Guardians Vol. 2, so there's a lot to tackle in the anticipated third film.

Fans can see Rocket right now in Avengers: Endgame, which is still in theaters.

-----

Have you subscribed to ComicBook Nation, the official Podcast of ComicBook.com yet? Check it out by clicking here or listen below.

In this latest episode, we break some major X-Men news, discuss THAT episode of Game of Thrones, and do a deep dive into all this weeks comics! After Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker are you ready for a different take on the franchise? Find out the answer and make sure to subscribe now to never miss an episode!