Cooper expresses a hot-tempered talking raccoon named Rocket in the MCU franchise. Despite being a favorite among Marvel fans, however, the performance initially proved to be controversial.
“An executive – no longer at Marvel Studios / Disney – saw an initial cut and said, ‘Why do we pay for Bradley Cooper if he doesn’t even look like Bradley Cooper!'” Gunn tweeted Tuesday (December 22).
“I was like, we hired him because he’s a great ACTOR. That is the question! He’s creating a CHARACTER! “
Gunn answered questions from fans on Twitter throughout December, with his anecdote about Cooper emerging after a fan asked how the Oscar nominee was cast in the film.
Gunn also revealed that actor Zoe Saldana has always been his “number one choice” for the role of Gamora in the franchise.
Earlier this month, Amanda Seyfried revealed that she was initially offered the role of Gamora, but declined because she feared the film would be a box office failure.
Bradley Cooper and Guardians of the Galaxy Rocket Raccoon
(Steven Ferdman / Getty Images / Disney)
“I didn’t want to be part of the first Marvel movie that failed,” she explained. “I said, ‘Who wants to see a movie about a talking tree and a raccoon?’ Which is clearly – I was very wrong. “
Gunn will return to the Guardians franchise with a future sequel after completing The Suicide Squad for rivals at Marvel DC.