James Gunn Was 100% Not Interested in Chris Pratt For GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, But The Audition Happened Anyway

When you think of Guardians of the Galaxy, it's hard to imagine anyone other than Chris Pratt as Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord. But it turns out, the man who would become the face of the franchise wasn’t even wanted in the audition room. At least, not by director James Gunn.

In a recent interview with ET, Pratt opened up about his long journey to Marvel stardom. Before landing his breakout MCU role, he had been passed over for several big blockbusters including Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger.

Despite a successful run on Parks and Recreation, Pratt assumed comedy was his lane. But his time in Zero Dark Thirty changed that mindset. Getting in shape for the gritty military thriller made him hungry for something bigger.

Still, Pratt wasn’t sold on trying out for another Marvel film, but his agent talked him into it.

“She was like, ‘I’m telling you, Guardians of the Galaxy.’ I was like, ‘Fine, I’ll do it.’ And so [casting director] Sarah Finn snuck me in.”

Sarah Halley Finn is the powerhouse casting director behind countless Marvel projects, went rogue and got Pratt in the door. She’s the one who assembled the Avengers, after all, so if she believed in Pratt for Star-Lord, you listen.

But even with Finn’s backing, there was a major roadblock: Gunn. According to Pratt, the director had already made up his mind, and it wasn’t in his favor. Pratt said:

“James Gunn had not agreed to see me, is like ‘What is he doing here? I told you I didn’t wanna see him.’ Then I auditioned, and like 20 seconds in, he’s like, ‘That’s my dude.’”

In just a few moments, Gunn did a complete 180. From not even wanting to be in the same room, to being fully sold.

Guardians of the Galaxy became an unexpected smash hit. It took a group of obscure Marvel misfits and turned them into household names. It launched Pratt into A-list territory and helped cement Gunn as one of the most creative filmmakers in the MCU, a trajectory that eventually led him to becoming the co-head of DC Studios.

Looking back, it’s wild to think how close we came to a totally different version of Star-Lord. But thanks to a persistent agent, a confident casting director, and a reluctant but open-minded filmmaker, the right guy ended up in the red leather jacket.