The Surprising Actors Who Almost Played Star-Lord Before Chris Pratt

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Over six movies and a Disney+ special, Chris Pratt has portrayed Peter Quill/Star-Lord, a role which catapulted him to fame following the success of Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and The LEGO Movie (also 2014). This newfound stardom opened doors for leading roles in films like Jurassic World, The Magnificent Seven, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The choice to play this then-unknown Marvel character has significantly boosted Pratt’s career, leaving a lasting impact on his body of work.

Even though I’ve become synonymous with the Star-Lord character after the success of Guardians of the Galaxy, it wasn’t a given that I would land the role. As we prepared for the principal photography of the tenth Marvel Cinematic Universe film, there were numerous contenders vying for the leading part, and my past work on Parks and Recreation was just one among many possibilities.

Who Else Was Up for Star-Lord?

Initially, the Marvel Cinematic Universe began by featuring less well-known superheroes. Among these were the five principal cosmic characters in “Guardians of the Galaxy”, who were arguably the least familiar faces of the franchise’s initial heroes. Characters like Star-Lord weren’t household names yet, so there wasn’t much preconceived notion about how he should or shouldn’t behave. Consequently, a diverse group of male actors was rumored to be auditioning for the part in December 2012. It’s intriguing that actors as varied as Eddie Redmayne (renowned for his intellectual roles like in “The Theory of Everything”) and Joel Edgerton (known for gritty films such as “Warrior” and “Animal Kingdom”) were being considered for the role.

In addition to Jack Huston, Jim Sturgess, and Lee Pace, who later portrayed Ronan the Accuser, several other actors were also in contention for the role. This list included Chris Pratt, who ultimately played Thor: The Dark World’s Star-Lord, due to his comedic man-child sensibility that was desired by James Gunn and Marvel Studios executives. Other potential candidates mentioned online included Michael Rosenbaum, who ended up appearing in the two Guardians sequels in a different role, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who was also among the finalists for Scott Lang/Ant-Man during the casting of Ant-Man. It appears that Marvel Studios had a particular interest in securing Gordon-Levitt, an Inception veteran.

In case things hadn’t gone as planned with Chris Pratt, Glenn Howerton, known for his role in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, was initially chosen to portray Peter Quill. Given Howerton’s background in sitcoms, he likely would have added a grittier dynamic to the character. It remains uncertain how this would have affected the final movie, but it’s clear that his interpretation of Star-Lord would have been markedly distinct from Pratt’s portrayal.

What Was With All the Potential Star-Lord Casting Choices?

After the initial “Guardians of the Galaxy” film proved to be a massive box office hit, Gunn openly admitted that he faced difficulties in finding the perfect actor to portray Peter Quill. He and his team went through numerous auditions and well-known actors, but none seemed to fit the role just right. Eventually, Marvel Studios’ casting director Sarah Halley Finn persistently advocated for Pratt for the part, although neither Pratt nor Gunn initially showed much interest due to different reasons.

In time, everything fell into place and Finn managed to arrange it so that Pratt got an opportunity to audition for Gunn. It took only a few moments for Gunn to watch Pratt perform as Peter Quill/Star-Lord before all his doubts about casting Andy Dwyer as an action hero vanished. Gunn was convinced he had found the perfect candidate. Thus, a new box office sensation was born, quite different from the other actors who tried out for Star-Lord’s role.

Previously linked with Star-Lord were a number of actors such as Gordon-Levitt, Levi, and Rosenbaum who had already made their mark in major films or superhero genres. It wouldn’t have been surprising to see any one of them lead an MCU film. But when Chris Pratt was cast in February 2013, he was quite the unexpected choice. With numerous big-budget actors vying for the role in early 2010s blockbusters, it was Pratt who ultimately landed the part that catapulted his career to new heights and irrevocably shaped both the MCU and Star-Lord’s character.

Guardians of the Galaxy is now streaming on Disney+.

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2025-05-18 02:10