Michael Rooker Says Guardians Of Galaxy Director James Gunn Loves Killing Him

Ever since he appeared in James Gunn‘s film Slither, Michael Rooker has been featured in all of the director’s movies ever since. He’s also been brutally killed off in everyone — that is, until Guardians of the Galaxy.

But Gunn rectified that in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 when Rooker’s character Yondu heroically sacrificed himself so Peter Quill could live.

Rooker sat down with ComicBook.com at the San Diego Comic-Con where he spoke about Gunn’s penchant to kill him off in his movies.

“I know why he killed me [in Vol. 2],” Rooker said. “He loves killing me. He enjoys the hell out of it.”

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Asked if he’d play a role where he doesn’t die in one of Gunn’s movies, Rooker wasn’t sure.

“I just do whatever the role is,” Rooker said. “If I have a say in it, of course I’d rather—no, I can’t even say that. This worked. This is the way it should have been. It worked amazingly. I mean, the story was so poignant and gripping. That last act of the film was just genius.”

Aside from the Yondu death scene, Rooker’s character in Slither becomes infected by an alien parasite and nearly kills everyone in a small town; he gets blown up when he gets filled with propane gas and shot.

In Super, his character’s head is slammed repeatedly on a corner of a step by Rainn Wilson’s costumed alter ego the Crimson Bolt.

And in the Gunn-written the Belko Experiment, Rooker’s character is casually smashed over the head with a wrench and is the first character to be killed in the film.

Rooker will be spared in Gunn’s next film, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but only because his character is already dead.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hits Digital HD on August 8, followed by Blu-ray and DVD on August 22.

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Set to the backdrop of ‘Awesome Mixtape #2,’ Marvel’s Guardians of the GalaxyVol. 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 and stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, MichaelRooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, SeanGunn, Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell.