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Marvel Studios reports that Oreo the raccoon “movie star” from the Guardians of the Galaxy films has died.
“Rest in Peace to Oreo the Raccoon, the real-life model for Rocket Raccoon,” Marvel’s Facebook page states. Oreo was staying with his trainers at the time of his death.
Oreo Is Dead But The Raccoon Movie Star Lives On In Film
However, Oreo, a 10-year-old raccoon, is not the real raccoon movie star. Instead, a computer-generated image (CGI) plays Rocket on the big screen.
To elaborate, Marvel’s animators base the movie character’s movements partially on Oreo’s movements. They also based Rocket Raccoon’s face on Oreo’s Face.
In addition, A-list actor Bradley Cooper provides the character’s voice. Moreover, CGI artists base part of Rocket’s movements on actor Sean Gunn. Consequently, Marvel’s Rocket Raccoon consists of three “people” in total.
Rocket Raccoon is still very much alive on the big screen and he’ll return in this summer’s blockbuster movie, Avengers: Endgame.
Rocket Raccoon Movie Star Dies
Marvel’s artists use videos of Oreo as a basis for their version of Rocket Raccoon. Remarkably, the raccoon movie star has made appearances in various Marvel comics for 42 years.
Rocket Raccoon is actually a satire on space opera characters. The character is the work of veteran comic creators Keith and Bill Mantlo. Significantly, Mantlo claims that the Beatles song Rocky Raccoon is the inspiration for Rocket. Notwithstanding, Rocket Raccoon was not originally part of Guardians of the Galaxy.
Instead, Rocket Raccoon only appeared in 10 comic books during the first 30 years of his career. In fact, the character was missing in action entirely between 1992 and 2006.
Rocket Raccoon Is A Superhero In His Own Right
Nevertheless, his return came when Marvel writers put Rocket into a new version of the Guardians of the Galaxy series in 2008.
Furthermore, Rocket Raccoon is a superhero with his own comic book. Notably, Marvel claims to have sold 300,000 issues of Rocket Raccoon in July 2014. Marvel eventually canceled that comic in 2015 only to revive it in 2016.
Marvel’s Raccoon Movie Star Walks The Red Carpet
Rocket Raccoon made his movie debut in Guardians of the Galaxy during the summer of 2014. The movie became an unexpected hit, thereby turning Rocket into a movie star.
Since then, Rocket Raccoon has appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2 and Avengers: Infinity War. In Infinity War, Rocket co-stars with A-list Marvel superheroes such as Iron Man, Spider-Man, Captain America, the Hulk, and Thor. In addition, Rocket Raccoon makes numerous appearances in animation and in video games.
Oreo got a taste of movie fame by walking the red carpet with director James Gunn at the Guardians of the Galaxy premier in 2014. However, news stories do not mention where they will bury Oreo or if he will get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The Raccoon Movie Star May Be Dead But Rocket Raccoon Will Return
Nor is it clear if Rocket Raccoon and the Guardians of the Galaxy will return to the big screen after Avengers: Endgame. In fact, media reports indicate that the Guardians of the Galaxy series is in limbo after writer/director James Gunn’s firing for politically incorrect tweets in July 2018.
At least one of the movie’s human stars, wrestler-turned-actor Dave Bautista, is refusing to return without Gunn in charge. Oddly enough, Gunn and Bautista blame “fascist cybernazis” for the director’s firing by Disney, The Wrap states. Disney, of course, owns both Marvel Studios and Marvel Comics.
Even though Oreo the raccoon movie star has sadly passed on, Rocket Raccoon will probably still return in future films for many years to come.
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