James Gunn said he never imagined Chris Pratt as Guardians of the Galaxy‘s Star-Lord until the audition. Tricked into meeting Pratt, Gunn immediately realized the actor was perfect for the role.
Guardians of the Galaxy seemed an odd fit for the MCU when it released, what with the film’s eclectic ensemble and campy tone. Marvel bet big on James Gunn’s space opera, and it paid off; it’s now one of the studio’s dark horses, spawning two sequels, crossovers, and a holiday special. Speaking with Dax Shepard, Gunn recalled how the movie came together and the rigorous casting. Finding Star-Lord was particularly difficult, and they were getting desperate after 300 actors failed auditions. That’s when Chris Pratt came along.
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Gunn said Pratt was then “the heavy guy on Parks and Rec” when he walked in for a reading. “The famous story around it is that I didn’t want to see Chris because I’m like, ‘This Joker? No way.’ And Chris had been turned down by a lot of things and he didn’t want to have to do that again,” he explained. “Sarah Finn, the casting director… I think she tricked me into it. She set up the meeting without telling me, but we were so desperate that time.”
Acclaimed Actors Auditioned To Play Star-Lord
Pratt played the carefree, goofy Andy Dwyer in all seven seasons of Parks and Recreation, which was nearing the end of its run when Guardians of the Galaxy had its casting call. Adam Brody, Eddie Redmayne, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Joel Edgerton were reportedly in the running. “I, unlike Chris, didn’t quite sort of understand the tone of it the way he did and the way that those guys did,” Edgerton told Entertainment Weekly. “And I wasn’t really sure how I could be a part of that tone.”
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“Chris started his audition and I am serious. It was not 12 seconds into the audition and I turned around to Sarah and I said, ‘He’s the one,’” Gunn continued. “And I knew it. It was seconds in.” Outside of Parks and Recreation, Pratt was also notable in Zero Dark Thirty and The Lego Movie, but Guardians of the Galaxy earned him worldwide recognition. He landed the Jurassic World trilogy while reprising Star-Lord; a post-credits scene in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 even hinted he would have a standalone spinoff. He went on to star in The Super Mario Bros. Movie and The Garfield Movie, both with sequels in the works.
In the published book The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Pratt said he didn’t really believe that he was right for Star-Lord. “I was really redefining who I was as an actor. I didn’t think I’d fit unless I’d play a sidekick character,” he recalled. “I didn’t see myself as a Star-Lord type, or a hero type. This is gonna sound crazy, but I even passed on the opportunity to audition for it a couple of times.”
Guardians of the Galaxy is streaming on Disney+.
Source: Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, Entertainment Weekly