The Beatles Have a Surprising Connection to Marvel’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ That James Gunn Ignored
The Guardians of the Galaxy movies always have fantastic soundtracks. Director James Gunn picks from an excellent selection of songs from classic rock to 80s pop. One song by The Beatles has a surprising connection to the history of the Guardians of the Galaxy. However, Gunn decided not to include it in any of the movies.
A character in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ is named after a song by The Beatles
“Rocky Raccoon” was written by Paul McCartney and debuted in 1968’s The White Album. One of The Beatles’ stranger tracks, it centers around a character whose wife leaves him for another man. He then challenges the man to a duel, only to get shot, then go on a spiritual journey when he discovers Gideon’s bible.
While it’s not one of the band’s biggest hits, it did impact a few Marvel writers. Marvel comic book creators Bill Mantlo and Keith Giffen Created Rocket Raccoon, naming him after The Beatles’ song. The character made his comic book debut in 1982, but he has become a fan-favorite today thanks to the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Voiced by Bradley Cooper, Rocket is an integral Marvel character whose story takes center stage in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
James Gunn didn’t want to include the song in the movies
The Guardians of the Galaxy movies have repopularized classic songs like “Hooked on a Feeling” and “Come and Get Your Love” for modern audiences. Gunn does an excellent job selecting songs that fit the scene and the story. A few fans know the connection between The Beatles and the Guardians of the Galaxy and noticed Gunn never used “Rocky Raccoon”.
Recently, a fan asked Gunn on Twitter why the Beatles tune isn’t in the latest movie. Gunn’s answer was rather blunt: “Because it doesn’t fit our story. It’s also not my favorite Beatles song.” It’s not everyone’s cup of tea; even McCartney recognized it as a “quirky” song.
“‘Rocky Raccoon’ is quirky, very me,” McCartney said in Many Years From Now. “I like talking blues, so I started off like that, then I did my tongue-in-cheek parody of a western and threw in some amusing lines. I just tried to keep it amusing, really.”
Gunn isn’t alone, as John Lennon wasn’t a fan of ‘Rocky Raccoon’ either
Gunn isn’t the only person who doesn’t love “Rocky Raccoon”. In the 1980 Playboy interview, John Lennon was asked if he had any involvement with “Rocky Raccoon”. Lennon “thanked God” it wasn’t one of his and seemed to think the song was a bunch of nonsense.
“Couldn’t you guess?” Lennon said. “Would I go to all that trouble about Gideon’s Bible and all that stuff?”
With the latest Guardians movie hitting theaters, it’s official that “Rocky Raccoon” never featured on the soundtrack for any of these movies. No song by The Beatles ever made these soundtracks. However, George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” was included in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, so that’s the closest Beatles fans will get to hearing the band in a Guardians movie.
