Marvel Studios has officially announced not one but TWO voice actors who will be lending their beautiful vocals for the upcoming feature films THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON and GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. First up is the lead robot villain in the upcoming AVENGERS sequel named Ultron (for those that don’t read comics) who will be voiced by none other than James Spader (STARGATE and TV’s THE OFFICE). Second is the feisty, machine gun-toting raccoon, Rocket Raccoon who will be voiced by Bradley Cooper (THE HANGOVER Series) in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY.
Both of these choices are pretty intriguing and I must admit I am quite happy with both decisions. Well done Marvel casting agents, well done. Ultron is sure to be the next big thing in the Marvel cinematic universe seeing how he will be beating the crap out of the AVENGERS a few summers from now and Spader’s distinct (iconic!?) voice just makes sense. Cooper is also a very interesting choice to voice the Raccoon with an attitude and I can honestly say I can hear the little guy now in Cooper’s familiar tone. Again, and interesting and well thought out choice for the character. I must admit, I’m not a huge fan of Rocket in the comics because he is just a little too human-like and reminds me of a furry Danny DeVito (my first choice for the character, but as a live action role rather than voice over of course). I dunno maybe it’s because he’s just one of those everyone loves em just because “fan-favorite” kinda characters (cough Wolverine cough). I will say however that the film version of Rocket is extremely raccoon-like, and if the concept art above is any indication, audiences are in for a treat. It looks way cooler than in the comics. Sorry fanboys. That said, let’s see what Marvel had to say about the two casting choices:
James Spader will face off against Earth’s Mightiest Heroes as the villain in Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” the sequel to 2012’s record-breaking “Marvel’s The Avengers.” The Emmy Award-winning actor will play Ultron in the Avengers’ much anticipated return to the big screen from writer/director Joss Whedon. The film comes to theaters on May 1, 2015.
Rocket Raccoon has finally found his voice! Academy Award-nominated actor Bradley Cooper has officially joined the cast of Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” lending his voice to the fan-favorite raccoon that will join Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and Drax (Dave Bautista) on their epic adventure.
In the far reaches of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, an unlikely cast of characters including Peter Quill, Gamora, Drax, Groot and Rocket Raccoon must join forces to defeat a cosmic force of epic proportions. Directed by James Gunn, the live-action “Guardians of the Galaxy” will take fans to new corners of the Marvel Universe when it hits theaters August 1, 2014, but in the meantime stay tuned to Marvel.com for the latest news as it breaks, including official casting, first looks and more!
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY blasts into theaters August 1st 2014 with AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON due out May 1st 2015. Yes, I know those are both very far off in the distance, but be patient my fellow nerds because more awesome news like this is sure to reveal itself as we hone in on the release dates of these two epic-looking films from Marvel Studios. Stay tuned.
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