The Marvel Cinematic Universe has had quite an array of iconic characters, be it Tony Stark, who was able to build the Iron Man suit in a cave with a box of scraps, or Captain America, who sent a whole generation to the gym courtesy of that one scene where he kept the helicopter from flying off. But occupying a special place in this hall of fame is the foul-mouthed yet soft-hearted Rocket Raccoon, brought to life on screen not just by Bradley Cooper's voice, but by Sean Gunn's physical performance on set.

Now, after six films and over a decade in a crouch, Gunn says he is done. But contrary to popular belief, this has nothing to do with his brother now heading things at DC.

For the longest time, the credit for Rocket Raccoon went solely to Bradley Cooper, that is, until photos of Sean Gunn, arms and knees on the ground surfaced online. Gunn who also plays  Ravager Kraglin Obfonteri in the Guardians of the Galaxy, recently confessed that he is retiring from squatting into the role of Rocket Raccoon while speaking to Brandon Davis on his video podcast, Main Character.

"Since I’ve turned 50 a couple of years ago, I am retired from playing Rocket" Gunn said.

Given that his brother James Gunn now runs the DCU, fans were quick to speculate that Sean Gunn's exit from Rocket Raccoon was less about age and more about where his loyalties lie. However, Sean Gunn, while speaking to Brandon Davis, expanded on how being in a catcher's crouch position for long hours of shooting becomes excruciatingly painful, making it impossible for him to continue the role.

While he has made up his mind to retire as Rocket Raccoon in the MCU, that is not to say that the actor has distanced himself completely from the comic universe.

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As the Marvel Cinematic Universe heads to another phase, Sean Gunn is giving his knees some much-needed rest in exchange of high tech gear in Appofeniacs.

In a fitting twist, after years spent literally disappearing into a CGI raccoon, Sean Gunn's next role tackles a world where faces can be faked without anyone disappearing at all. The horror-thriller follows Duke, whose reckless deepfake pranks spiral into deadly, blood-soaked chaos for everyone around him.

The movie leans into the horrors of AI and is written and directed by Chris Marrs Piliero. Apart from Sean Gunn, the cast includes Aaron Holiday, Jermaine Fowler, Michael Abbott Jr. and more. Rocket Raccoon may be behind him, but Sean Gunn is not done yet, his deepfake thriller Appofeniacs arrives in theaters October 2, proving his crouching days may be over, but his career is just shifting gears.

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What do you think about Sean Gunn's retirement confession? Let us know in the comments.