James Gunn Says Chris Pratt's GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Audition Was Perfect, but His Screen Test Was Terrible

James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy is among Marvel fans’ favorite films. They are unique in their setting, their characters, and the humor that Gunn brought to his franchise, making them top notch viewing among not only comic fans, but really all moviegoers.

One major component of their success was the casting, which Gunn chatted about in a recent episode of DC's official "Peacemaker" podcast (via/Film) where he revealed that while the actor's audition went well enough to secure him the role, his first screen test almost ruined the whole thing.

According to Gunn, Pratt nailed his Peter Quill audition. "I loved him in the role. He was perfect in his audition," said the director. "And then he did the screen test."

As Gunn explained, the point of the screen test was just so he could show the Marvel and Disney higher-ups his pick for the lead role and get their blessing. "That's my only job [...] because I know he's the right guy," he added.

Unfortunately, that screen test was nothing like Pratt's audition, with Gunn adding, "He was so... He was just, just hurting. [...] I went behind the scenes. We actually built a whole set and everything. I went behind the scenes with him, and I was like, 'This isn't good. You've got to get it right, man.' It's like, I don't know what to say in that case."

Obviously, Pratt did get it together. But it took some help from one of his future co-stars and an inspired move from Gunn.

Gunn, along with everyone else who saw Iron Man, felt that Robert Downey Jr. was Tony Stark. He wanted to find an actor that, as Peter Quill, could essentially be themselves on-screen, and went through 20 different screen tests of both established actors and up-and-comers to find that person. Initially, it seemed as if Chris Pratt fit the bill, but when Gunn put him on-camera, he fell apart.

As the director told the Peacemaker podcast hosts, "Sometimes actors get in their heads. And one of the things I say to them sometimes is [...] 'Your feelings don't matter.' [...] 'How you feel in this moment has nothing to do with how it's being projected towards a camera that's picking you up. So how you feel has nothing to do with this.'"

In Pratt's case, however, it would take more than a frank pep talk to turn things around. The actor and Gunn spoke to The Hollywood Reporter in 2023 and recalled the tense moment when Pratt's screen test fell flat.

According to the Star-Lord actor, Gunn stopped him half-way through the test and said, "I don't know what you're doing, but you're blowing it. This is the moment right now. You just need to stop doing whatever you're doing and just be real. Just be you."

Unfortunately, the actor still couldn't pull himself together, prompting Gunn to make a last-minute decision that saved his star from being booted from the picture.

During their Hollywood Reporter interview, James Gunn and Chris Pratt recalled how even after the director had spoken to his actor, he still couldn't do what was needed of him. As the actor remembered it, all he heard was, "You're blowing it, you're blowing it."

But Gunn wasn't about to let him burn out so early in the process. Instead, he brought out Dave Bautista, who played Drax the Destroyer in Guardians of the Galaxy.

As THR notes, Bautista hadn't actually been cast in the role of the violent, taciturn Guardian at that point, though he was being considered alongside several other hopefuls.

After Gunn asked Bautista and Pratt to do some improv, however, the chemistry was undeniable. That secured Pratt the role of Star-Lord, though apparently the studio pushed back on Bautista in the beginning.

You can see the pair's screen test online, which clearly showcases their chemistry and allowed both actors to relax and slip into their respective roles, which were each full of their own personalities.

This was the move that brought out the Star-Lord/Peter Quill that we al know today, and the rest is history.