GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: Michael Rooker Not Interested In Yondu Return But Would Play Another MCU Character

Guardians of the Galaxy star Michael Rooker has explained that he'll never return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Yondu, but admits that he would be open to playing a completely different character...

By JoshWilding - Apr 12, 2020 04:04 AM EST

Filed Under: Vol. 2

Source: Inside Of You With Michael Rosenbaum

Yondu's death in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was a huge moment, and one of the most memorable in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. With that in mind, it probably won't surprise you to learn that actor Michael Rooker has zero interest in reprising the role down the line.

During a recent interview with Michael Rosenbaum, Rooker explained why the death of his character has closed the door on any sort of return as Yondu in a future MCU movie.

"No way, I'm dead. I'm dead. My character is dead," he exclaimed. "I would play something else, I wouldn't mind. I would play something else, but why would I want to play Yondu? Yondu had a wonderful...amazing sendoff that you would ever want in cinematic Marvel history. My god, dude, why do you want to spoil that by bringing the character back now?"

After adding that he agrees with director James Gunn's recent comments about Yondu's resurrection nullifying his sacrifice, he added: "There's consequences when you die, you're supposed to stay dead! What the hell you coming back for? Why are they bringing all these schmucks back? Give me a break. Move on, do another movie."

We're seeing a few different actors returning to the MCU as different characters, so this is definitely feasible (Captain Marvel star Gemma Chan will soon be seen in Eternals). However, Rooker was so memorable as Yondu, it's hard to imagine him being seen as any other hero or villain.

What do you guys think?

Which Phase 1 MCU moments would Disney never
allow today? Hit the "Next" button below to find out!

10. Bruce Banner Can't Get Laid

In The Incredible Hulk, Bruce Banner goes on the run alongside Betty Ross, and the former couple start getting close again in a motel room. However, just as it looks like the Jade Giant's alter-ego will see some action, his heart-rate monitor starts going haywire, and he realises that having sex runs the risk of him transforming into The Hulk.

Yes, Bruce couldn't have sex with Betty because he was scared he would lose control during the act!

What was meant to be a somewhat edgy piece of humour came across as dumb and bordered on being a complete misunderstanding of how Banner's powers work. Honestly, there's just no way one of the current Marvel Studios movies would take this sort of risqué look at a hero's sex life.

9. Tony Stark's Stripper Pole

Before he became Iron Man, Tony Stark lived a hedonistic lifestyle and certainly enjoyed himself as an eligible bachelor. That was evident from the fact his private plane was outfitted not only with plenty of booze, but stripper poles which the "flight attendants" certainly made good use of.

Yes, Tony was able to transform his plane into a strip club on a whim, and while there's absolutely nothing wrong with that (it's not as if he was married or doing anything morally objectionable), this sort of non-PG content wouldn't fly - no pun intended - in today's Marvel Cinematic Universe.

These days, there would probably be some sort of massive outcry on social media to a scene like too, and it's just not something that fits Disney's family friendly image in any way, shape, or form.

8. General "Thunderbolt" Ross' Love Of Cigars

The original plan for The Avengers was for Earth's Mightiest Heroes to square off with The Hulk. That's why The Incredible Hulk's post-credits scene revolved around Tony Stark approaching General "Thunderbolt" Ross to offer him some help, but there was something in that moment which Disney would never allow to grace the silver screen.

While he's getting drunk, Ross is puffing on one of his trademark cigars, but Disney doesn't allow smoking in any of their films!

Captain America: Civil War actually featured a nod to Ross' love of cigars when he mentioned having a heart attack, something you have to believe came as a result of the way he used to both smoke and drink. It was a fun way for Marvel Studios to explain why his cigars were nowhere to be seen.

7. Tony Stark's Alcoholism

Marvel Studios never fully went down the "Demon in the Bottle" route in the MCU, but Iron Man 2 definitely addressed the fact that Tony Stark's drinking had become a major problem.

The hero's drunken behaviour at his party endangered guests and led to Rhodey taking his old armour and subsequently becoming War Machine after realising his friend could no longer be trusted. By the time The Avengers rolled around, though, Tony was shown enjoying a drink as he sparred with Loki in Stark Tower, and his possible alcoholism was never mentioned again.

That was seemingly just too dark a topic for a superhero in a world now overseen by Disney to tackle, and it's a shame in many ways as the comic books handled it in a meaningful, impactful way.

6. Sexualising Black Widow

Scarlett Johansson is extremely talented...and insanely beautiful. Marvel Studios really played on her sex appeal in Iron Man 2, and as well as some saucy lingerie photos, "Natalie Rushman" walked around in a lot of tight-fitting clothing and was clearly an object of Tony Stark's desires.

That was the point in some ways, of course, as she was undercover for S.H.I.E.L.D., but some sexist remarks were sent her way courtesy of Happy Hogan (who watched her change in the back of Tony's car), and a female superhero being portrayed like this these says seems doubtful.

Joss Whedon managed to slip some borderline NSFW shots of Black Widow into The Avengers (mostly of her butt), but the way the hero was portrayed in the MCU after Iron Man 2 was vastly different.

5. F-Bombs

It may have been bleeped (barely), but Iron Man 2 featured the Marvel Cinematic Universe's first F-Bomb! It came during a confrontation with Senator Stern as he shouted "F*** you, buddy" at Tony as he left that congressional hearing about his future as Iron Man.

It wasn't hard to figure out what he said, and while Guardians of the Galaxy teased another F-Bomb, it was nowhere near as obvious as this one, and not something Disney would ever allow to make the final cut of one of their movies. Bear in mind that Spider-Man: Homecoming and Far From Home's "What the fu-" moments were in films produced by Sony Pictures, not Disney.

Regardless, this was a pretty blatant use of the word in a Marvel movie, and not something we expect to hear again.

4. Recasting Rhodey

After Terrence Howard demanded a huge pay rise for his Iron Man 2 return, Marvel Entertainment Chairman Isaac Perlmutter ordered Kevin Feige to recast the role...because no one would notice.

In case you need us to spell it out to you, Ike believed that because the character of Rhodey is black, moviegoers wouldn't notice that Don Cheadle had replaced him. It's a horrible way of thinking, but he was in charge at the time, and with Howard wanting such a huge amount of money, it was inevitable that he wouldn't come back for the sequel.

These days, recasting still happens, but something tells us there would be a better reason for it...and that execs at Disney wouldn't be under the belief no one would realise for such racist reasons!

3. "Thunderstruck"

Iron Man 2 was a messy movie, but as well as pushing the boundaries with Tony Stark's alcoholism and the way Natasha Romanoff was portrayed, it also featured a lot of other sexualised imagery.

The opening sequence (which originally featured a hungover Tony throwing up into a toilet) saw Iron Man surrounded by scantily clad dancers, and while it was all very tame, it's also not the sort of imagery we're used to seeing from Disney. It's hard to imagine them being okay with this, especially when those girls are pulling off some, ahem, eye-catching moves!

The sequel wouldn't have suffered without a scene like this, but by the time Iron Man 3 rolled around, the Armoured Avenger had very much put his hedonistic, playboy ways behind him once and for all.

2. Captain America Punches Hitler

Captain America: The First Avenger didn't really include Nazis and instead overlooked what they did during World War II by focusing on Steve Rogers' battle with the Red Skull and HYDRA.

It's hard not to wonder whether that was a creative decision influenced by Disney as they had acquired Marvel Studios at this point, but there's one scene, in particular, we can't help but wonder might have been a step too far for Disney. That's the scene where Captain America punches an actor who is dressed up as Adolf Hitler while Steve is performing for the USO.

It was a moment paying homage to the source material and a classic comic book cover, but would Disney be happy with one of their superheroes beating up one of the most evil men in history? It's hard to say, but we can't help but wonder whether this would have led to some strong discussions behind the scenes.

1. Sex Scenes

As we've established, the early Iron Man movies didn't shy away from portraying Tony Stark as a billionaire playboy who most definitely wasn't ready to settle down with future Stark Industries CEO Pepper Potts. That was evident from the fact that he wasted no time in bedding Christine Everhart in a surprisingly non-PG-13 sex scene!

The next morning, Christine (played by the beautiful and talented Leslie Bibb) wanders through Stark's Malibu home in just the bedsheets, and that's yet another example of imagery which is far too provocative for today's MCU.

Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger didn't feature any sex scenes, but that was mostly for story reasons. However, it's hard not to wonder what those might have looked like had things played out slightly differently (especially after what we saw in the Iron Man franchise).

GOTG VOL. 2 Director Says Drax, Not Baby Groot, Was The Most Popular Character In Test Screenings

Recommended For You:

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2: James Gunn Says Stan Lee's Cameo Was Inspired By Fan Theories

DISCLAIMER: ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and... [MORE]

ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Do you have what it takes to write for us?

Want to contribute?

72 Comments

1 2

VicSage - 4/12/2020, 5:00 AM

Say it louder for the people in the back

manofillintent1 - 4/12/2020, 5:00 AM

Hope Downey feels the same

JustALurker - 4/12/2020, 12:53 PM

@manofillintent1 - probably not after Dolittle....and his upcoming flop Sherlock 3.

Battabing - 4/12/2020, 12:59 PM

@manofillintent1 - Depends on how his last movie did.

WakandanQueen - 4/12/2020, 5:02 AM

1 2

Related Headlines

Guardians of the Galaxy

GOTG Director James Gunn Reveals That Darkhawk Almost Made His MCU Debut In VOL. 2

MarkCassidy

Apr 22, 2022 12:04 PM

The Suicide Squad

THE SUICIDE SQUAD Director James Gunn Responds To Steven Soderbergh: "Some People Are F*cking"

MarkCassidy

Feb 08, 2022 01:02 PM

Vol. 2

GOTG VOL. 2 Director Says Drax, Not Baby Groot, Was The Most Popular Character In Test Screenings

MarkCassidy

Nov 29, 2021 02:11 PM

Related Headlines

Guardians of the Galaxy

GOTG Director James Gunn Reveals That Darkhawk Almost Made His MCU Debut In VOL. 2

MarkCassidy

Apr 22, 2022 12:04 PM

The Suicide Squad

THE SUICIDE SQUAD Director James Gunn Responds To Steven Soderbergh: "Some People Are F*cking"

MarkCassidy

Feb 08, 2022 01:02 PM

Vol. 2

GOTG VOL. 2 Director Says Drax, Not Baby Groot, Was The Most Popular Character In Test Screenings

MarkCassidy

Nov 29, 2021 02:11 PM

The Suicide Squad

THE SUICIDE SQUAD: James Gunn Explains How The Final Scene Parallels The Last Shot Of GOTG VOL. 2 - SPOILERS

MarkCassidy

Sep 11, 2021 04:09 AM

Vol. 2

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2: James Gunn Says Stan Lee's Cameo Was Inspired By Fan Theories

JoshWilding

Jul 04, 2020 03:07 AM

Vol. 2

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE Star Kevin Durand Reveals Plans For The Blob In Scrapped Sequel

JoshWilding

39 mins ago

Justice League

JUSTICE LEAGUE Director Zack Snyder Says He's "Pretty Excited" About James Gunn's DCU Plans

JoshWilding

54 mins ago

Latest Headlines

Sci-Fi

Steven Spielberg's Next Project Will Reportedly Be A UFO Movie Based On His Own Original Idea

MarkCassidy

12 mins ago

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE Star Kevin Durand Reveals Plans For The Blob In Scrapped Sequel

JoshWilding

39 mins ago

Justice League

JUSTICE LEAGUE Director Zack Snyder Says He's "Pretty Excited" About James Gunn's DCU Plans

JoshWilding

54 mins ago

Marvel Comics

ULTIMATES Trailer Gives Earth's Mightiest Heroes Only Two Years To Fix Their Broken Universe

JoshWilding

2 hours ago

Doctor Who

DOCTOR WHO Showrunner Russell T Davies Talks Bigger Marvel-Like Budget And "Timeless Child" Inspiration

JoshWilding

2 hours ago

James Bond

MAN OF STEEL Star Henry Cavill Is Leaving The Door Open To Playing James Bond Despite Claims He's Too Old

JoshWilding

2 hours ago

Hot Headlines

157 comments

SUPERMAN: James Gunn's DCU Reboot Finds Its Martha "Ma" Kent

MarkCassidy

15 hours ago EST

133 comments

Hollywood Producer Slams MADAME WEB Star Sydney Sweeney: "She's Not Pretty, She Can't Act"

MarkCassidy

19 hours ago EST

131 comments

REACHER Star Alan Ritchson Won't Star In "Marvel Movies Regurgitating Stories We've Seen A Thousand Times"

JoshWilding

1 day ago EST

90 comments

James Gunn’s SUPERMAN Casts Pruitt Taylor Vince To Play Pa Kent In The DCU's Inaugural Film

MarkJulian

1 day ago EST

87 comments

More Sci-Fi & Fantasy ►

X-MEN '97 Creative Express Interest In Bringing An X-MEN Animated Movie To Theaters

More Cartoons & Animated ►

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: SPLINTERED FATE Headed To Nintendo Switch This July

More Anime & Manga ►

IMMACULATE Star Sydney Sweeney Has Been Slammed By A Hollywood Producer: She's Not Pretty, She Can't Act

More Horror ►

JAMES BOND: Henry Cavill Isn't Closing The Door On Playing 007; Maybe I'm Too Old Now. Maybe I'm Not...

More Action Movies & TV ►

Kurt Angle Reflects On What Went Wrong During Final WWE Run: Fans Could Tell I Was Not The Same Wrestler

More Pro Wrestling ►

REBEL MOON Director Zack Snyder Suggests He Has A Six-Movie Plan For Netflix's Sci-Fi Franchise

More Sci-Fi & Fantasy ►

More Cartoons & Animated ►

More Anime & Manga ►

More Horror ►

More Action Movies & TV ►

More Pro Wrestling ►

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: Michael Rooker Not Interested In Yondu Return But Would Play Another MCU Character

Guardians of the Galaxy star Michael Rooker has explained that he'll never return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Yondu, but admits that he would be open to playing a completely different character...

10. Bruce Banner Can't Get Laid

9. Tony Stark's Stripper Pole

8. General "Thunderbolt" Ross' Love Of Cigars

7. Tony Stark's Alcoholism

6. Sexualising Black Widow

5. F-Bombs

4. Recasting Rhodey

3. "Thunderstruck"

2. Captain America Punches Hitler

1. Sex Scenes

GOTG VOL. 2 Director Says Drax, Not Baby Groot, Was The Most Popular Character In Test Screenings

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2: James Gunn Says Stan Lee's Cameo Was Inspired By Fan Theories

GOTG Director James Gunn Reveals That Darkhawk Almost Made His MCU Debut In VOL. 2

THE SUICIDE SQUAD Director James Gunn Responds To Steven Soderbergh: "Some People Are F*cking"

GOTG VOL. 2 Director Says Drax, Not Baby Groot, Was The Most Popular Character In Test Screenings

GOTG Director James Gunn Reveals That Darkhawk Almost Made His MCU Debut In VOL. 2

THE SUICIDE SQUAD Director James Gunn Responds To Steven Soderbergh: "Some People Are F*cking"

GOTG VOL. 2 Director Says Drax, Not Baby Groot, Was The Most Popular Character In Test Screenings

THE SUICIDE SQUAD: James Gunn Explains How The Final Scene Parallels The Last Shot Of GOTG VOL. 2 - SPOILERS

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2: James Gunn Says Stan Lee's Cameo Was Inspired By Fan Theories

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 Director James Gunn Tells Fans Where To Find TONS Of Easter Eggs

Popular Headlines

SUPERMAN: James Gunn's DCU Reboot Finds Its Martha "Ma" Kent

Hollywood Producer Slams MADAME WEB Star Sydney Sweeney: "She's Not Pretty, She Can't Act"

MCU Rumor Roundup: Sydney Sweeney Joins The MCU, Thanos' Return, THE FANTASTIC FOUR's Setting, And More

JUSTICE LEAGUE Star Henry Cavill Takes A Shot At His Superman Return In BLACK ADAM's Post-Credits Scene

SPIDER-MAN Swings To Impressive Box Office Haul For Re-Release As Crowd Reaction To Final Swing Goes Viral

Steven Spielberg's Next Project Will Reportedly Be A UFO Movie Based On His Own Original Idea

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE Star Kevin Durand Reveals Plans For The Blob In Scrapped Sequel

JUSTICE LEAGUE Director Zack Snyder Says He's "Pretty Excited" About James Gunn's DCU Plans

Steven Spielberg's Next Project Will Reportedly Be A UFO Movie Based On His Own Original Idea

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE Star Kevin Durand Reveals Plans For The Blob In Scrapped Sequel

JUSTICE LEAGUE Director Zack Snyder Says He's "Pretty Excited" About James Gunn's DCU Plans

ULTIMATES Trailer Gives Earth's Mightiest Heroes Only Two Years To Fix Their Broken Universe

DOCTOR WHO Showrunner Russell T Davies Talks Bigger Marvel-Like Budget And "Timeless Child" Inspiration

MAN OF STEEL Star Henry Cavill Is Leaving The Door Open To Playing James Bond Despite Claims He's Too Old

Hot Headlines

SUPERMAN: James Gunn's DCU Reboot Finds Its Martha "Ma" Kent

Hollywood Producer Slams MADAME WEB Star Sydney Sweeney: "She's Not Pretty, She Can't Act"

REACHER Star Alan Ritchson Won't Star In "Marvel Movies Regurgitating Stories We've Seen A Thousand Times"

James Gunn’s SUPERMAN Casts Pruitt Taylor Vince To Play Pa Kent In The DCU's Inaugural Film

ANT-MAN: Michael Douglas Pushed For Hank Pym's Death In QUANTUMANIA; Suggests He's Now Done With The Role

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

REBEL MOON Director Zack Snyder Suggests He Has A Six-Movie Plan For Netflix's Sci-Fi Franchise

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS Director Steven Spielberg Reportedly Planning To Return To Sci-Fi Genre For His Next Movie

REBEL MOON Star Ed Skrein Has A Graphic Alien Sex Scene In R-Rated Extended Cut

Cartoons & Animated Features

X-MEN '97 Creative Express Interest In Bringing An X-MEN Animated Movie To Theaters

X-MEN '97 Makes A Big Change To Opening Credits; Showrunner Reveals MAN OF STEEL Inspiration For [SPOILER]

X-MEN '97 Reveals The Fate Of Professor X, The Villain Behind Genosha Attack, And Storm's Future - SPOILERS

Gaming

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: SPLINTERED FATE Headed To Nintendo Switch This July

Ubisoft Responds To Backlash Over STAR WARS OUTLAWS Exclusive Season Pass "Jabba's Gambit" Mission

Second Wave Of XBOX GAME PASS Titles For April 2024 Revealed

Anime & Manga

MY HERO ACADEMIA Season 7 Countdown Kicks Off With Class 1-A Character Visuals

GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE Returning To Theaters With New 4K Restoration

Crunchyroll Announces Release Date For ONE PIECE Season 14 Voyage 15 English Dub

Horror

IMMACULATE Star Sydney Sweeney Has Been Slammed By A Hollywood Producer: "She's Not Pretty, She Can't Act"

SCREAM VII: Rumored Details On Sidney And Gale's Roles And Ghostface's Targets - SPOILERS

DEAD BOY DETECTIVES Showrunner Confirms Other SANDMAN Characters - Aside From Death - Will Appear

Action Movies & TV

JAMES BOND: Henry Cavill Isn't Closing The Door On Playing 007; "Maybe I'm Too Old Now. Maybe I'm Not..."

Alex Garland's CIVIL WAR Is The #1 Movie In North America- Opens To $25.7M

THE ACCOUNTANT 2 Adds Four More Actors Including JURASSIC WORLD Star Daniella Pineda

Pro Wrestling & MMA News

Kurt Angle Reflects On What Went Wrong During Final WWE Run: "Fans Could Tell I Was Not The Same Wrestler"

AEW President Tony Khan Believes It "Made A Lot Of Sense" To Air ALL IN Backstage Footage On DYNAMITE

Chad Gable Turns Heel On RAW By Brutally Attacking Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

REBEL MOON Director Zack Snyder Suggests He Has A Six-Movie Plan For Netflix's Sci-Fi Franchise

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS Director Steven Spielberg Reportedly Planning To Return To Sci-Fi Genre For His Next Movie

REBEL MOON Star Ed Skrein Has A Graphic Alien Sex Scene In R-Rated Extended Cut

KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Star Kevin Durand Reveals New Details About "Narcissistic" Proximus Caesar

DOCTOR WHO Showrunner Russell T Davies Confirms "Timeless Child" Link And Explains Impact Of Bigger Budget

ANT-MAN Star Michael Douglas Doesn't Expect To Return To MCU; Wanted Hank Pym To Die In QUANTUMANIA

Cartoons & Animated Features