We got our first good look at Michael Rooker's character Yondu in this extended trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy.  Now we've got a pair of newly released images that further showcase the blue-skinned alien's bizarre appearance.  Rooker and director James Gunn commented on the comic book character's big screen version, who retains some characteristics of the Marvel creation while definitely taking on traits that both Gunn and Rooker bring to the table.  Their commentary certainly helps clear things up for those of you who are hearing about this character for the first time.

Hit the jump for new images of Rooker's Yondu from Guardians of the Galaxy, and be sure to check out Steve's set visit report, and interviews with Gunn, and stars Zoe SaldanaKaren Gillan, and Dave Bautista.  Guardians of the Galaxy opens August 1st.

USA Today not only brings us these new images of Rooker in Guardians of the Galaxy (click to enlarge), but provides a few new tidbits on the character of Yondu. They could be considered spoilery, so highlight the following section if you want to know more:  In the feature film version, Yondu will act as a surrogate father of sorts for Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), who was taken from Earth after a tragedy and raised among Yondu's Ravagers, a sort of outer-space biker gang.  Once he's grown into the charismatic outlaw known (to some) as Star-Lord, the father-son duo scheme to steal a magical orb, an event which sets the film's plot in motion.

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Rooker describes their relationship as follows:

"He's feeling lost, vulnerable, defeated, emotionally drained and hurt, and here is Yondu in this light coming down and brings him up into the spacecraft and takes him away. It might have been pretty horrific, but also a bit cool."

And as for Yondu himself:

"[He has] some interesting issues — not a good guy, not a bad guy. There's hope and there's a heart inside Yondu. It's not so black and white — I should say blue and white. And I enjoy roles that are like that, even if they're not in some galaxy somewhere other than ours."

Gunn had Rooker in mind for the part from the outset, saying:

"He's very good at playing hard-asses you also feel something for."

Be sure to read the full write-up on USA Today, and click here for all of our Guardians of the Galaxy coverage.

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Image via Marvel Studios

James Gunn also tweeted the following image: