The search is over. Marvel Studios has found its lead star for its next superhero franchise, Guardians of the Galaxy. After going with James Gunn to direct it would appear that the filmmaker’s offbeat sense of humor (see Slither and Super) ensures that GotG won’t be like the rest of the films we saw released during Marvel Studio’s “Phase 1”.
The lead role is going to Chris Pratt, the star of NBC’s Parks & Recreation. He also appeared in 2011’s Moneyball and played one of the hero Navy SEALs in Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty. Pratt’s role will be that of Star-Lord, the Guardians leader who is part human and part alien.
Before deciding on Pratt the studio had looked at Pratt’s ZDT co-star Joel Edgerton, Boardwalk Empire‘s Jack Huston, Jim Sturgess, Eddie Redmayne (Les Miserables) and Lee Pace (The Fall, Lincoln). Other actors that were candidates included Zachary Levi (TV’s Chuck) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
