A new clip from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has been released, offering us a tender glimpse into the backstory of Rocket (don't call him a raccoon). The clip introduces us to both the much younger Rocket and three of his friends.
There's Teefs, played by Asim Chaudhry, who may turn out to be the MCU's equivalent of Wal Rus, an engineer who has occasionally helped Rocket in the comics. There's Floor the rabbit, played by Mikaela Hoover. And then there's an otter, played by Linda Cardellini, who we'd already caught a quick glimpse of in the first trailer for the film.
Guess what.
That otter (we're guessing we shouldn't call her that) has a name - Lylla - and in comics, she's Rocket's soulmate. Well, sorta.
Lylla is a Marvel Comics character who actually goes all the way back to Rocket's earliest appearance in 1982's Incredible Hulk #271, and his subsequent solo series which depicted Rocket more as a straightforward space swashbuckler than as the irascible space pirate he became in later comics appearances.
In those stories, Lady Lylla is the heir to a massive intergalactic toy company and its accompanying empire on the planet Halfworld, a world occupied entirely by anthropomorphic animals kinda like the one seen in the clip - and she's also Rocket's one true love.
In fact, at the end of the original Rocket Raccoon series, Rocket and Lylla retire together to a new life away from swashbuckling space adventures.
Except… it wasn't all happily ever after.
Rocket and Lylla parted ways at some point before he met up with his big buddy Groot and joined the Guardians of the Galaxy. And in 2010's Annihilators #4, Rocket and Lylla reunite, only for Rocket to discover she's now married to an anthropomorphic rabbit named Blackjack O'Hare (a nod to the cartoon and comic book character Bucky O'Hare). Rocket gives Jack and Lylla his blessing, and jets off into space with Groot.
If you've played the Guardians of the Galaxy video game, you'll know there's a moment between Rocket and Lylla there as well - so you may have gotten a bit of a preview into their relationship.
It's clear from this new clip that Rocket and Lylla share a long history. Will they be reunited in the present? We'll find out when Guardians of the Galaxy releases on May 5.
Before then, check out the best Guardians of the Galaxy comics of all time.
