Will Rocket die in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?

Marvel just launched the first Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 trailer, and it teased a very happy-sad outing for Rocket Raccoon and his family of cosmic misfits. Director James Gunn has claimed time and time again that this film will be the finale event for the current lineup of the Guardians, and it will have a huge emotional element.

Gunn also claimed that GOTG's Raccoon will be its central focus point. So, people are left asking if Rocket is going to die. The Guardian is among the funniest, deadliest, and absolute best characters within the MCU.

His character growth has been remarkable from where it began back in 2014, and the way Bradley Cooper has voiced him so uniquely is nothing short of a marvel. So many fans are going to hate James Gunn if something happens to this little trash panda.

All teases of Rocket Raccoon's fate in GOTG Vol. 3 trailer

Stills from Guardians Vol. 3 trailer (Image via Marvel)

One of the biggest highlights of Vol. 3's official trailer was Rocket. We got glimpses of his tragic past, how the High Evolutionary turned him into what he is today, and his reunion with his love interest, Lylla. He said he was done running and implied that he would face his creator head-on. He said:

"We'll all fly away together... One last time."

James Gunn is known for truly loving the hot-tempered Raccoon. The director also has a pet raccoon named Oreo, who also inspired the creation of Rocket in GOTG, so it was obvious that Gunn got attached to this character. In the past, he also revealed that, like the first two movies, we'd be witnessing one major death in Vol. 3. And with the aforementioned teases, this character will likely be Rocket.

Rocket’s arc and parallels with Tony Stark

Rocket and Tony Stark share a very interesting parallel. The latter is the face of the MCU as he turned out to be the most important Avenger. The Raccoon may not be the face of the Guardians, but he is certainly the most important Guardian of the Galaxy. In the beginning, he really didn't care about anyone but himself (and obviously Groot). But that has changed with time.

Like Tony, GOTG's Raccoon has a big mouth on him, and his brain is his biggest weapon. While the former may have the smartest brain on Earth, the Raccoon is one of the smartest individuals in the Galaxy. On the exterior, both characters seem to be the weakest, but they have outsmarted almost everyone.

Rocket and Tony Stark (Image via Marvel)

Tony Stark is a weapons manufacturer, and we've seen Rocket come up with the deadliest weapons and technology of his own. While Tony invented flying Iron Man suits, the latter brought jet packs in GOTG Vol. 2. Tony had a metal arc reactor in his chest, and the Raccoon is a cybernetically engineered alien with metal enhancements on his back, and apparently, his face as well.

The Iron Man stared death in its eyes countless times and survived until Endgame. The Guardian of the Galaxy's Raccoon did the same, probably more times than even Tony. Over time, we saw Stark grow and care about others. He went from a narcissistic billionaire to a caring friend and a loving family man. It has been the same with Rocket.

Tony always made sacrifice plays in all three Avengers movies, and we saw Rocket do the same when he tried to save Groot in Endgame. Ultimately, Tony made the biggest sacrifice knowing how he lived a complete life. He got closure from his past, mended things with Captain America, married Pepper, and got a family. Now, the raccoon's arc is coming to a circle as well.

Why he might die in GOTG Vol. 3

He already has a son and a family. Now in Vol. 3, he will meet his love interest Lylla too. He will stop running from his past to face his creator head-on. Since this movie is supposed to be a special outing for Rocket, one could presume that he'd follow Tony's trajectory and sacrifice himself to keep his family safe.

It is important to note that the raccoon witnessed Groot's sacrifice in Vol. 1, Yondu's sacrifice for Quill in Vol. 2, and Tony's snap in Endgame firsthand. Now, it could be his turn to do the same for his family. But all his fans will be hoping for Gunn to subvert their expectations.

Back in the day before Endgame hit theaters, many thought that Captain America would die and Tony would get to retire. But the opposite happened. So maybe James Gunn could pull off a similar move with GOTG's Raccoon, where he gets a happy send-off, and someone like Drax, Mantis, or Nebula perishes? One can only hope!

Unfortunately, the chances for this fan-favorite character to perish are still very high at this time.

Edited by Shreya Das