GOTG 3 Gives Rocket Yet Another Similarity To An Original Avenger

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Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 uncovered Rocket's backstory in the MCU, revealing a tragic similarity to one of the franchise's most high-profile superheroes. Released on May 5, 2023, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 marked the final adventure for the original cosmic team as they set out to save Bradley Cooper's Rocket's life and defeat the High Evolutionary, portrayed by Chukwudi Iwuji. While the Guardians' present day mission was full of twists and turns, flashbacks explored Rocket's origin story, and introduced his childhood friends, though this story ended in tragedy when Rocket escaped from the High Evolutionary's clutches, perfectly mirroring the MCU's debut project.
For his final project with Marvel Studios, James Gunn wanted to explore Rocket's backstory in the MCU, following his reveal that Rocket had always been the "secret protagonist" of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise (via Twitter). Audiences were gifted an in-depth look into Rocket's childhood, his enhancements at the hands of the High Evolutionary, and the early bonds he made with fellow experiments Lylla, Teefs, and Floor. Rocket's intelligence was also put into focus, as he soon created a key to release them from their cages. While this didn't end well for Rocket's friends, the raccoon's escape from the High Evolutionary's prison called back to one major MCU hero.
Rocket’s Escape Matches Tony Stark Building His First Iron Man Armor

The MCU kicked-off in 2008 with the release of Iron Man, which opened with Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark being taken captive by a faction of the Ten Rings in Afghanistan. With the help of his new ally, Ho Yinsen, and despite being imprisoned in a remote cave, Stark was able to build first a miniaturized arc reactor to save his life, and then his prototype Iron Man armor, using scrap from his own dismantled weapons. This proved Stark's genius, inventiveness, and initiative, as he used his Mark I Iron Man armor to escape his prison, and would go on to refine his design.
This sequence of events was mirrored in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, as Rocket was able to quickly piece together a working key card able to open the doors to his and his friends' cages. Throughout Rocket's various interactions with the High Evolutionary, he had been collecting small pieces of what seemed to be junk metal, and hiding them within his cage, patiently waiting for the right time to piece them together. Avengers: Endgame saw Rocket and Stark bond over their shared genius, so the fact that both of their MCU stories started with a very similar prison escape is another wonderful connection shared between the unlikely pair.
Iron Man & Rocket’s Escapes Share A Tragic Twist

While the means of escape was similar in Iron Man and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Stark and Rocket's new leases of life came at the cost of their friends. In Stark's case, Yinsen sacrificed himself to buy time to complete their work, while in Rocket's case, Lylla was killed by the High Evolutionary, and Teefs and Floor were caught in the crossfire. Both Stark and Rocket got their punches in, however, as Stark injured Raza, the leader of the Ten Rings, and Rocket mauled the High Evolutionary in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. In this regard, it seems Rocket and Iron Man share a deeper connection than just intelligence.
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