With what was revealed in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 about Rocket Raccoon’s backstory, it makes one moment in the original film so much sadder than before. The Guardians of the Galaxy initially bond because they are a broken group of outcasts. They are a full-fledged family by the end of the trilogy, and it adds new context to their initial MCU group-up.

The Guardians initially meet on Xandar while at their respective jobs. The chase that ensues causes them to be arrested, and Rocket’s prison scan shows that he has a whopping 22 counts of escape from incarceration on record. Now knowing what we do about his backstory, it’s no wonder Rocket has always been keen to escape prison.

Rocket’s Tech Talents Are Shown In His 23rd Prison Break

Rocket Masterminds The Guardians’ Prison Breakout

As soon as they land in prison, Gamora convinces Rocket to come up with a plan to break them out. It seems like something Rocket was already intending on doing, and he returns the next day with an idea of how to get it done. The prison break was Rocket’s first real showing of his tech talents, showing us a glimpse of his genius.

Rocket comes up with a list of supplies that he’ll need to pull off the breakout, and he’s able to make do with the supplies found around Kyln. Even when the plan goes awry thanks to Groot, he’s able to adapt. The breakout included hacking into the watchtower and turning the gravity off in the prison, all of which are not simple feats.

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Makes Rocket’s Role In The 2014 Prison Break Look Different Now

Rocket Spent His Childhood In Captivity

Rocket didn’t take too much convincing to comply with Gamora’s breakout request. Of course, anyone would be eager to escape from prison, but Rocket’s desire was put into a new light after his backstory was revealed in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. As someone who spent the majority of his childhood in captivity, it’s no wonder he always has an escape plan on hand.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 showed a young Rocket being captured by the High Evolutionary. While in captivity, Rocket suffered both mentally and physically due to the High Evolutionary’s cruel experiments. Each time that adult Rocket has been thrown into prison, it undoubtedly reminds him of his hopelessness while held captive in his youth.

Rocket’s Guardians Of The Galaxy 3 Story Makes The Original Even Better

Rocket Completed A Successful Breakout

If anything, the prison breakout sequence in Guardians of the Galaxy is presented with comedic undertones. It’s a stark contrast to Rocket’s breakout in the third film, which was laced with tragedy. Knowing how a failed prison escape weighed so heavily on Rocket’s consciousness for years, it adds new depth to his actions in the first film.

Not only did Rocket complete a successful prison escape, but he was able to do so while saving his allies too. The death of his childhood friends in their failed escape from the High Evolutionary’s prison was something that he never wanted to experience again. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 highlights the tragedies that shaped Rocket’s life, which truly puts the original film in a new light upon a rewatch.