Superman director James Gunn might be serving as the DC Studios co-CEO right now, being the main man behind DC Universe's new era, but he claims his time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) shaped his approach towards building the new DCU. Having helmed the three Guardians of the Galaxy movies and also served as a writer on each volume, it helped establish him as a prominent name in the superhero genre. But, despite returning with his own version of Superman reboot led by actor David Corenswet, Gunn refuses to turn his back on Chris Pratt's Star-Lord and his chaotic cosmic crew, mainly Rocket Raccoon the character who continues to remain closest to him. ALSO READ: Why James Gunn's Superman Is Not Origin Story? Director REVEALS 3 Superhero Moments From DC, Marvel He NEVER Wants To See Again James Gunn reflects on Rocket Raccoon being "closer" to him than any other character During an interview with GQ, Gunn said, "It just came to me that, if it was real, that that raccoon would be the saddest creature in the entire universe, and that he would feel utterly and completely alone, and have a very difficult time in life. That to me was the beginning of Guardians. That's why I knew that, from doing the first one to the last one, where it ended up, is where it needed to end up with this character basically having a spiritual awakening in which he goes outside of himself and sees himself in both a more important and less important way." Gunn continued, "That was the journey of those three movies for me. It was about Rocket, whose character, who I've felt closer to more than any other character I've ever put on film, without a doubt." James Gunn "protected" Rocket Raccoon In a previous interview on Max's DC Studios Showcase podcast, Gunn used Rocket's example to explain the importance of character consistency in filmmaking. He revealed he made sure to protect the character from other writers whenever he oversaw the scripts he was featured in outside the Guardians of the Galaxy films. Rocket's role in Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Thor: Love and Thunder was closely monitored by Gunn who kept a watchful eye and consulted with the directors to ensure he was appropriately represented. Discussing his personal reason for safeguarding the anthropomorphic animal that even reflected when he joined DC where he brought the same commitment to its characters, the director added, "I was like this when I worked at Marvel. I would get scripts with Rocket in them that didn't match how I understood [the character] – that character was my soul. So, I would always make sure that his voice always made sense, that what he did always made sense. And I do that with the characters in DC across all the films and television shows. They've got to be true to the character, especially if it's a character that I originated on film." ALSO READ: Superman: James Gunn, David Corenswet Address Indian Fans; React To Govinda Dancing As DC Superhero - 'It's The Best' | Watch About Rocket Raccoon Rocket Raccoon made its cinematic debut in 2014 film Guardians of the Galaxy, and soon became a fan-favourite and important MCU character. He even pushed Gunn to return to the franchise to complete the trilogy even when he was hands full with DCU commitment by its third and final film.