Meet Oreo: Rocket Raccoon's 'Model' in Guardians of the Galaxy

Months ago, it was reported that director James Gunn was using a method called "rotoscoping" to animate Rocket Raccoon in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy film. The method would involve using real raccoon movements for character movement, in order to give Rocket an authentic, lifelike feel.

In the months since, Mr. Gunn has posted countless pictures of himself with many different critters on his Instagram and Facebook pages. These creatures come from an animal rescue place called Oreo and Friends. "Oreo" is the name of the raccoon who has served as the inspiration for Rocket Raccoon himself. Here's a snippet from the 'Oreo and Friends' website:

"We’re very excited to announce that our namesake and number one raccoon, Oreo, has finally hit the big time! Recently, Oreo was drafted in by big time director James Gunn to work on the latest movie in the Marvel franchise, Guardians of the Galaxy, and act as inspiration for the character of Rocket Raccoon. This has been so exciting for us, and we’re so thrilled to be a part of such an amazing project. Everyone, especially James Gunn himself, treated Oreo with so much kindness and respect, and obviously our little man lapped up the attention as usual! We’re so thankful for the chance to get involved, and can’t wait to see the movie!"

As far as the other animals are concerned, Gunn may also be studying their movements. Our theory is that The Collector (played by Benicio Del Toro) will have many different animals, and may be responsible for Rocket Raccoon's "experimentation." We will be talking more about that theory in an upcoming editorial. Until then, make sure you check out Oreo and Friends, and also drop a comment below!