‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Star Michael Rooker Talks Mohawk Redesigns and Zombie Delicacies (Video)

Rooker tells TheWrap what it was like to eat brisket-flavored brains on “The Walking Dead,” and how his “Guardians” ‘do had to be redone to fit his spaceship

Michael Rooker has the distinct honor of starring in two of Comic-Con’s most popular properties: “The Walking Dead” and “Guardians of the Galaxy.”

The actor discussed both characters at TheWrap’s Comic-Con video lounge at the “Walking Dead Escape” in Petco Park, but he disagreed with Greg Gilman’s negative assessment of his “Walking Dead” character, Merle Dixon.

“Horrible? What do you mean?” Rooker asked. “Merle was a pretty straight shooter. If you like someone, let ’em know you like ’em. If you don’t, smack ’em in the head. Merle was that kind of guy.”

See video: ‘Walking Dead’ Season 5 Trailer May Have Spoiler to End All Spoilers

Rooker’s character on the AMC zombie show eventually revealed his softer side, and then he died in Season 3. But for a character on “The Walking Dead,” death is often just the beginning. Merle briefly became a zombie, which afford him the opportunity to feast on prop “brains.”

“I was hungry,” Rooker admitted, “and [the guts and brains I ate] was brisket and barbecue. It was delicious.”

Rooker’s character in “Guardians of the Galaxy” is about as far removed from a backwoods racist zombie hunter as one can get. Yondu Udonta is a blue-skinned “celestial pirate” — and, in the comics, a founding member of the original “Guardians” team — who sports a mohawk … though it’s smaller than he would’ve liked.

See video: ‘Guardians of The Galaxy’ Co-Writer Nicole Perlman on the Film’s Unique Twist

“We needed to make sure I could walk around in my [space] ship,” Rooker explained. “It was already built before I arrived, but the [mohawk] fin was going to hit the roof, so they re-designed it.”

“Guardians of the Galaxy,”directed by James Gunn and also starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana and Bradley Cooper, hits theaters Aug. 1.

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