Director James Gunn recently shared some unfortunate news for fans eagerly anticipating the continuation of the Thor and Rocket Raccoon friendship in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). In an interview with Rolling Stone in April, Gunn revealed that he was surprised by the ending of Avengers: Endgame, which featured Chris Hemsworth’s Thor joining the Guardians. However, he was not informed of this decision during the filmmaking process as Marvel Studios had chosen to include it in post-production. Gunn admitted, “I didn’t think it was gonna be in there.”

Complications For Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3

This unexpected change conflicted with Gunn’s preexisting draft for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. When Gunn was rehired to helm the third installment, he had yet to determine the direction of the story. Fortunately, Taika Waititi, the director of Thor: Love and Thunder, stepped in to resolve Thor’s involvement with the Guardians.

Rocket’s Silence

During a Twitter Q&A session, James Gunn limited his responses to yes or no questions. When a fan inquired about whether Rocket had maintained contact with Chris Hemsworth’s Thor following the events of Love and Thunder, Gunn’s succinct response was, “No.” This revelation left some fans disheartened, as they had grown fond of the budding friendship between the two characters in Infinity War and Endgame.

Marvel Studios’ Decision

The decision to pair Thor with the Guardians was not made by either director, raising questions about the rationale behind it. In the same Rolling Stone interview, Gunn stated, “Endgame came out right after I decided to do Guardians again. So I didn’t have much say in what was in Endgame.” Gunn was rehired as the director of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in March 2019, while Endgame had already hit theaters the previous month. It appears that Marvel Studios originally intended for a Guardians film without Gunn that would incorporate Thor, but Gunn’s unexpected return altered those plans.

Future Possibilities

It remains to be seen how the next director of the Guardians franchise will handle the relationships between the characters within the broader MCU. Perhaps in the hands of a different filmmaker, fans may witness the rekindling of the dynamic between Rocket and Thor.