Warning! Spoilers ahead for Guardians of the Galaxy #13
With the Rocket Raccoon, voiced by Bradley Cooper. Subsequently, the Guardians in the comics were altered to better fit with these new versions who had become beloved by audiences and fans, resulting in a core change where Rocket has essentially become a different character since the first Guardians of the Galaxy film in 2014. Now, current series writer Al Ewing has an opportunity to bring some of the old Rocket back.
In Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy from director James Gunn, Rocket Raccoon is the member who's the most reluctant to be a hero. He's the last to agree to Peter Quill's plan to save Xandar in the first film, he's constantly thieving and conning, and he's generally a very snarky and self-centered individual. That being said, Rocket has grown over time in the MCU where he does believe in fighting for his found family of Peter Quill, Gamora, Drax, Mantis, and most of all Groot. However, he's not necessarily all for being a team intent on guarding the galaxy. Subsequently, this version of the character essentially took over and transposed over the original version of Rocket from the comics, especially as fans grew more familiar with the MCU depiction.
In Dan Abnett's Guardians of the Galaxy run, the original Rocket was actually the heart and soul of the team, and he actually believed the most in what the Guardians were trying to do. He took their core mission and values to heart, which made sense given his origins as a protector of the Keystone quadrant before the modern version of the Guardians assembled. Rocket was so much a believer in the team that he's the one who kept the team together during its hardest times of conflict, even recruiting new when others left in order to keep the mission going. Now that current series writer Al Ewing has made the Guardians sanctioned superheroes like the Avengers, perhaps some of the original Rocket can be brought back into the mix of his current, more scoundrel-like personality.
Seeing as how the Guardians of the Galaxy are no longer the outlaws they once were, now is the perfect opportunity for Rocket to become a strong believer in their mission, just like he used to. While nothing about Rocket's MCU depiction is inherently wrong, it would be cool if Ewing brought some of those original elements back. Case in point, Ewing just blended elements from Star-Lord's original origins and remixed them into the present version of Peter Quill, making him a literal Star-Lord as Master of the Sun. As such, he feels familiar and new all at the same time, with classic comics elements blended with his new MCU-inspired personality. Likewise, the same thing could be done for Rocket as well.
If there was ever a time for Rocket to start believing in the cause like he used to, it's with Marvel's new Age of Space and fresh start for the Guardians. He can still be his snarky self that many fans have become familiar with thanks to the MCU, but that no longer has to come at the expense of losing his core desire to be a true Guardian in future issues from Al Ewing and Marvel Comics. The Guardians of the Galaxy have returned to what the original Rocket Raccoon always wanted them to be, so it would be cool if the new Rocket could grow to appreciate it on some level as well.
