Michael Rooker On James Gunn's Reluctance To Make Guardians 3 Without Him

05/28/2017 04:07 pm EDT

Michael Rooker was honored and touched when he learned the reason why James Gunn was hestitant about helming a third Guardians of the Galaxy movie.

A couple weeks before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was set to open across the globe, "after many months of ruminations and discussions," filmmaker James Gunn revealed that he is returning to write and direct the third installment in the Marvel franchise. A month later, Gunn admitted that he almost passed on the opportunity because it was difficult envisioning making it without his close friend.

"Michael Rooker, for all the crap I give him, is one of my closest friends in the world and the last thing I wanted to do was to make a movie without Michael Rooker in the future," Gunn said during a Facebook Live Q&A. "I almost didn't do Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 because there was no Michael Rooker in it and I couldn't see making the movie without him. He means that much to me and I love him that much."

And today, while attending Heroes & Villains Fan Fest in London, England, Rooker was asked to share how he felt after hearing Gunn's heartfelt comments. "That's a wonderful compliment to my work, I think, and our friendship --- because we have become quite close," Rooker told the attendance. "And it is very hard to think of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 without me being in it as well. It's very deep... I've grown to love everyone on the set and all of the other actors. So, I will miss being there dearly, yes."

MORE: James Gunn Explains Why Ego Told Star-Lord About His Mother / Director Says That's Not Teen Groot / "Brandy" Songwriter Comments On Song's Use / Alternate Costume Designs For Ayesha

Set to the backdrop of 'Awesome Mixtape #2,' Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the team's adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill's true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes' aid as the Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is written and directed by James Gunn (Slither). The film marks the return of the original Guardians, including Chris Pratt (Jurassic World) as Peter Quill/Star-Lord; Zoe Saldana (Star Trek Into Darkness) as Gamora; Dave Bautista (Spectre) as Drax; Vin Diesel (Furious 7) as the voice of Groot; Bradley Cooper (American Sniper) as the voice of Rocket; Michael Rooker (Jumper) as Yondu; Karen Gillan (The Big Short) as Nebula; and Sean Gunn (Gilmore Girls) as Kraglin. New cast members include Pom Klementieff (Oldboy), Elizabeth Debicki (The Great Gatsby, Everest), Chris Sullivan (The Knick, The Drop) and Kurt Russell (The Hateful Eight, The Thing).

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is now playing!

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