When the rumors about a certain Marvel character casting started doing the rounds, James Gunn stepped in to shut it down immediately.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has expanded exponentially since Iron Man came out in 2008, especially in the last few years. There have been several memorable films in the franchise, and James Gunn was at the helm of quite a few of them.

The director took on a group of misfits and delivered The Guardian of the Galaxy, a film that set the bar higher within the MCU. The film generated a lot of buzz throughout the filming process, and every now and then, a bit of trivia keeps percolating down to fans on social media.

Gunn often engages with fans on social media, sharing tidbits himself. Given the scope of the universe, there is no dearth of rumors as well. Unsurprisingly, when a casting rumor went viral online a few years ago, he took it upon himself to shut it down.
Gunn was at the helm of The Guardians of the Galaxy (Source: Marvel)

When James Gunn had to personally debunk a Marvel casting rumor

The Avengers was a phenomenon, and it inspired a generation of directors to aim bigger. James Gunn was one of them. Not only did he take on a bunch of relatively unknown characters, he delivered an epic film, which spawned further sequels down the line.

The Guardians of the Galaxy introduced characters such as Star-Lord, Gamora, Groot, and Drax the Destroyer. Rocket Raccoon was another, and Hollywood star Bradley Cooper lent his voice to the gun-toting furry character.

Cooper’s role left a lasting impression on fans. However, it did not stop rumors from swirling that Adam Sandler could have also played the role, whose name would often pop up whenever the movie was mentioned.

Cooper lent his voice to Rocket (Source: The Guardians of the Galaxy)
A few years ago, a Twitter account by the name of Movies Now dropped information about Sandler online. The account used the hashtag #DidYouKnow to state that the comedian had allegedly auditioned to voice Rocket. Moreover, they further claimed that Sandler also lost the role of Groot to Vin Diesel.

Gunn, who is very active on the social media site, immediately refuted the claims. “This is not true. I’ve never even met Adam Sandler,” he wrote in response. The tweets have since been deleted.

James Gunn is not new to debunking theories or sharing behind-the-scenes information

The director may have moved on to the DCEU to revive the franchise, but his contributions to the MCU cannot be quantified. Throughout his time with Marvel, Gunn garnered a reputation for quashing rumors and speaking the truth fearlessly.

Bradley Cooper’s Rocket Raccoon was at the heart of yet another controversy. Gunn once revealed that a Marvel Studios executive was unhappy with the actor sounding different.
Gunn revealed that a studio executive was unhappy (Source: The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3)
“One exec – who is no longer with Marvel Studios/Disney – saw an early cut & said, ‘Why did we pay money for Bradley Cooper if he doesn’t even sound like Bradley Cooper!? I was like, we hired him because he’s a great ACTOR. That’s the point! He’s creating a CHARACTER!” he divulged.

The Guardians of the Galaxy was a massive success, and the characters joined up with the Avengers to take down Thanos successfully. As of now, there is no confirmation whether Cooper’s character will show up in future projects.