Peta praises Marvel for shining a light on animal-testing labs

Peta has applauded the director of the new Guardians of the Galaxy 3 film for showcasing how animal testing involves “cruel, callous, and cold-blooded experiments on animals”.

The group has hailed director Pete Gunn for daring to explore the taboo subject and has given him an award for showing the “true horrors” behind testing on animals in laboratories, calling the film an “animal rights masterpiece”.

The new film tells the tale of much-loved character Rocket — a raccoon voiced by Bradley Cooper — who is being treated as a test subject and subjected to numerous torturous experiments.

In the film, he is given consciousness and fighting abilities by enduring unimaginable pain in a lab. Not only that, but through becoming more human, he is also tormented by the memories of animal pals who have also been tested on and died in the process.

And now the charity has awarded James Gunn their ‘Not a Number’ award for this portrayal of what happens in testing facilities around the world.

The organisation wrote in a statement: “We want to honour James Gunn with the award for showing audiences that Rocket Raccoon’s origin story isn’t out of nowhere — cruel, callous, and cold-blooded experiments on animals are real, and they’re happening right now.”

Peta’s senior vice president Lisa Lange added: “Through Rocket, James Gunn has put a face, a name, and a personality on the millions of vulnerable animals being cycled through laboratories as we speak. Peta is celebrating this as the best animal rights film of the year for helping audiences see animals as individuals and suggesting that, just because we can experiment on them, doesn’t mean we should.”

However, this is not simply a film moralising on injustice. NME has also lined up to hail the new film, in cinemas now, saying this was a film from the franchise that had been “made for the fans”. We described it as the “perfect” goodbye to the franchise, while it has had great reviews across the board for its “emotional” storyline.

Rocket’s story has captured the hearts of cinema-goers, as he avenges the deaths of his fellow furry pals who are killed in the lab — including otter Lylla, walrus Teefs, and a rabbit named Floor.

Peta continued in a statement: “Like Rocket’s friends Lyle, Teefs, and Floor, most animals used in laboratories are killed after enduring a lifetime of suffering. They’re held in cramped cages, often alone, and mutilated, infected with diseases, purposely bred to suffer from debilitating conditions, forced to endure multiple painful procedures, locked into restraint devices, bombarded with stimuli, and frequently denied adequate food, water, and pain relief.”

Britannica’s ProCon.org website, part of the Encyclopaedia Britannica organisation, discusses both sides of the argument in a non-partisan way, if you are looking for further information.