Michael Rooker Refuses to Play Yondu Again In Marvel’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3’
Michael Rooker is open to returning for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 but he won’t reprise the role of Yondu he played in the first two films. Yondu was the Centaurian who took care of Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) in space. Rooker has also been in every movie James Gunn directed, including Suicide Squad.
[Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2.]
Rooker was on Michael Rosenbaum’s Inside of You podcast on April 7. Even Rosenbaum asked Rooker if Yondu would be back in Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3.
Michael Rooker does not want to undo Yondu’s sacrifice in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2’
Yondu made a heroic sacrifice for Star-Lord at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2. While escaping Planet Ego, Yondu gave his only breathing device to Star-Lod while he flew him to safety. Yondu died and Rooker does not want him coming back. He also threw shade at all the other Marvel characters who’ve returned from the dead.
“No way,” Rooker said. “I’m dead. My character’s dead. I’m with Gunn. There’s consequences when you die. You’re supposed to stay dead. You’re dead. What the hell are you coming back for? Why are they bringing all these schmucks back? Give me a break. Move on. Get another movie.”
Nothing in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3’ could be better for Yondu
Rooker loves working with Gunn, obviously. If Gunn creates a different character, Rooker is on board. Since Yondu covered him in blue makeup and armor, it wouldn’t be hard to design a different character for Rooker. He doesn’t think even Gunn could top Yondu’s final scene, though.
“I would play something else,” Rooker said. “I would play something else, but why would I want to play Yondu? Yondu had a wonderful [arc], the most amazing send-off that you would ever want in a cinematic Marvel history. My God, dude, why do you want to spoil that by bringing the character back now?”
Michael Rooker was in the moment for Yondu
As much as Rooker stands by Yondu’s death in Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, he didn’t make a big deal out of filming the scene. He just performed it without thinking about the larger context of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“I wasn’t really thinking too much about that when Yondu dies,” Rooker said. “I wasn’t thinking about when Yondu dies. I’m Yondu in the scene so, I’m not thinking about I’m dying or anything like that. I wasn’t thinking anything. I was just doing the scene.”
Rooker actually fell asleep playing Yondu’s dead body in the funeral scene.
“I went to sleep about five or six times,” Rooker said. “We did about five or six takes. I can sleep and still know what’s going on. Subconsciously, as soon as the cut was cut, I wake up. As soon as they said action, within 10 seconds or so, I was sleeping.”
