Here’s a piece of casting news that won’t come as much of a surprise to anyone who knows James Gunn’s films Slither and Super: Michael Rooker will be part of the team for Guardians Of The Galaxy.
Rooker, who has long been rumoured as a potential participant in the movie, is not, in fact, voicing Rocket Racoon. No, he’ll actually be playing a more obscure part of the Guardians canon, Yondu.
“Yonwho?” we hear non-comics readers asking. Well, Marvel lore has him as a game hunter of a primitive tribe native to Centauri IV, the first planet system to be colonized outside of the Sun’s solar system. At first unsure of contact with off-worlders, he ends up – via complicated plot machinations that are certain to be smoothed out for the movie – part of the Guardians. He's a warrior with particular skills in archery.
The new arrival joins Chris Pratt and Dave Bautista who are locked in as Star-Lord and Drax. Zoe Saldana is in talks to play Gamora, and looks likely to sign on. Well, it wouldn't be her first geek-friendly role, after Star Trek and Avatar.
Gunn is set to start shooting the movie this year in the UK. It’ll hit our cinemas in August 2014.