Will ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Cast a ‘Walking Dead’ Star as Rocket Raccoon?

With James Gunn's 'Guardians of the Galaxy' a little under two years away, superhero fanatics have a substantial (but ever-closing) window of time to speculate on what actors will ultimately be cast in the roles of the interstellar group. We haven't had any solid leads yet, only theories, and one new theory looks to grow  considerably in the near future: Michael Rooker as the voice of Rocket Raccoon!

This dream casting makes sense for a number of reasons. Rooker has already worked with Gunn twice before, on the gooey 2006 cult classic 'Slither' and 2010's subversive superhero comedy 'Super.' He's always been a fan favorite, but has gained a whole new following thanks to his brief but memorable turn on AMC's mega-hit 'The Walking Dead.' (A role he'll be reprising in the forthcoming season.) Finally, he just has a fantastic voice.

Movieweb recently had the opportunity to chat with Mr. Rooker and wisely grabbed at the chance to coyly ask the actor for his opinion of raccoons. "I love raccoons. Raccoons are my friends," Rooker said. (And you never know with this guy, maybe that's true.) Digging deeper, the site asked Rooker if he'd be interested in tackling the Rocket Raccoon character in Gunn's movie. Rooker responded:

Oh, yeah. Most certainly. I know that James Gunn is doing it. He is directing it, and he is re-writing it. He is a very loyal director. He is a very loyal writer, when it comes to working with people that he knows and loves. He really appreciates the efforts that each actor puts into these roles. And I would be very honored and pleased to work with James Gunn again.

Rooker, never shy, evidently wants us to know just how much he's enticed by this particular idea:

But you know what? Write this up. Tweet the f**k out of it. If the fans want me as Rocket Raccoon, Marvel will listen to you guys, I think, sometimes...Perhaps I will be lucky and blessed enough to go in there, and go at it with Mr. Gunn again, who knows?

You're not going to argue with Michael Rooker now, are you? To read a few more choice quotes, head on over here.

What do you guys think? Would the vocal stylings of Michael Rooker be a perfect fit for Rocket Raccoon? Join the conversation in the comments below!