James Gunn erinnert sich an die anfängliche Zurückhaltung, Chris Pratt für Guardians of the Galaxy zu treffen: ‚Dieser Joker? Auf keinen Fall‘

> In the latest episode of Armchair Expert, Gunn recounted to host Dax Shepard that casting the lead role in the Marvel movie was a difficult task. Pratt, at the time Gunn was casting for Guardians of the Galaxy, was „the heavy guy on Parks and Rec.“ The director wasn’t sure if he had what it took to be Peter Quill.

> „This joker? No way,“ Gunn recalled thinking at the time.

> But after auditioning around 300 actors and screen testing over two dozen, Gunn was at a loss. He and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige were struggling to find the right guy to play the role.

> Gunn said casting director Sarah Finn „tricked“ him into meeting Pratt. Desperate, he decided to give the Parks and Recreation actor a chance.

> „It was not 12 seconds into the audition and I turned around to Sarah and I said, ‚He’s the one,'“ Gunn said.

That’s funny because Parks and Rec was what ended up getting Chris Pratt cast in the Terminal List on Prime in a way in the end. The author said he saw him in that (and Zero Dark Thirty) which he got buff for and thought (paraphrasing) “oh this guy can work as James Reece”.

Thank you to whoever cast Pratt in P&R. And to Sarah Finn. Can’t imagine anyone else as Star Lord.