Sean Gunn has proclaimed himself "retired" from performing the on-set motion capture for Rocket Raccoon, the fan-favorite character from the "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise. The actor, who turned 50 a couple of years ago, said the physical demands of the work have become too much.

Speaking on a recent episode of The Brandon Davis Show, Gunn explained that contorting his body into the shape of the small animated animal has taken a toll. "Since I've turned 50 a couple of years ago, I am retired from playing Rocket," he said. "Not that they've called. But if they did, I don't think that I could do the motion reference anymore for Rocket. I think I'm too old."

The problem, Gunn said, is not what most people assume. "Everyone thinks it's my knees, but it's really my feet and my ankles," he explained. "I'm in a catcher's crouch, and I'm pivoting a lot on my points of contact with the ground. I'm doing a lot of pivoting in my ankles and feet. And over the years, I think it had a little bit of an effect on my physiology." He added that the work "hurts after a while."

While Bradley Cooper famously voiced the character, Gunn performed the on-set motion reference for the animated raccoon across all three "Guardians of the Galaxy" films. The first premiered in 2014, the sequel, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," followed in 2017, and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" premiered in 2023.

Gunn's involvement in the Marvel Cinematic Universe extends beyond motion capture. On screen, he played Kraglin Obfonteri in "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," "Avengers: Endgame," "Thor: Love and Thunder," "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3."

Notably, Gunn said Marvel has not called about returning as Rocket — but if the studio does, the actor's nine-year run of crouching, pivoting motion-capture performance appears to be over. His on-camera role as Kraglin, by contrast, carries no such physical constraints.