Released in April 2023, Rocket is part of the Marvel Legends Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 wave that is exclusively turned over to MCU figures from the movie and includes a Cosmo Build-a-Figure. The wave is packed in plastic-free packaging, using figure imagery alongside the usual artwork around the standard Marvel Legends box to depict the contents.
This is the third Marvel Legends MCU Rocket figure, and the body is entirely new and reflective of the comic-inspired blue uniform the team wear in Vol. 3. Like Star-Lord and the other Guardians, the blue finish on this uniform is too bright vs the darker and more subdued colour we see on screen. The body is cast in this base blue with paint then detailing the red trim of the suit, the black and silver of the belt, and the gold of that Ravager logo in the centre of the chest. Rocket is correctly sized in terms of the other figures.
The head is re-used from the GOTG2 / Infinity War Rocket releases but with a lighter brown plastic and lighter white coloured fur painted around the eyes and ears. The jaw looks articulated and is open to show the teeth beneath - sadly, due to the scale it can’t actually be moved and is simply a cast piece that is slotted up into the main head to create the open mouth. The tail is new by the looks of it and is much bushier than the last versions. It is cast in brown, with cream fur stripes added over the top.
Despite his small stature, Rocket boasts 17 points of articulation across a pinless body. While the smaller size of Rocket results in less range for each joint, there is a reasonable level of posing options with or without the included accessory piece.
Rocket traditionally has been packed as part of a multi-pack or with increased accessory content. In the past that has been a Groot mini-figure or a larger accessory like the Hadron Collider weapon from the first movie. For the GOTG3 Rocket is packed with the largest part of Cosmo (head and body) but with a single accessory, his huge blaster which dates back to the first movie released in 2014. This enormous blaster was an issue nearly 10 years ago in terms of getting Rocket to hold it, and nothing has changed with the tiny hands struggling to keep a grip on the thing and two-handed poses really problematic without a wider range of motion at the shoulders. The gun itself is complex in its design as we see on screen, but is cast in a black plastic with zero additional decor applied. The weaponry should really have been upgraded for Rocket to the twin blasters, and the new heavy blaster he uses across the movie.
Rocket retails at £24.99 and that price does feel a little unbalanced on Rocket’s size, but the same level of sculpting, articulation, and paint work went into the figure even if the volume of plastic used to create him is less. As has been the case with the other figures, the blue of the uniform and the chosen accessory is not right, and is probably another example of releases based on earlier concepts than the finished movie. Putting these inaccuracies aside, Rocket looks pretty awesome in his new uniform and the wider team does look great posed together.
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About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...