Guardians of the Galaxy | Entertainment News, Photos, and Videos

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has always had a gift when it comes to casting; they find the perfect character for each role.

Chris Pratt as Star-Lord is no exception! However, he faced some stiff competition from a talented batch of actors to earn a chance to join the Avengers.

In a franchise that already had several (expertly cast) actors named Chris on the team, he was introduced as the plucky and smart-mouthed Star-Lord (aka Peter Quill) in 2014′s Guardians of the Galaxy.

Since then, he’s stepped out with the team of heroes multiple times, most recently in 2023′s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

While he is now synonymous with the part, we did some digging and rounded up 15 other actors who auditioned for the opportunity. Interestingly, there are even rumors about who were the second and third choices.

Some of his competitors wound up acting alongside Chris in the MCU. One even joined the cast of the first Guardians movie in another role. Others have fronted their own mega-successful franchises.

Scroll through the slideshow to see who else could have played Star-Lord in the Marvel Cinematic Universe…

Chris Pratt so perfectly embodies Star-Lord in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies that it’s hard to imagine anyone else playing the plucky space hero.

However, we recently learned that it wasn’t the first role that the 43-year-old actor auditioned for within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

“I auditioned for them all. I had a rough run with Marvel,” Chris said during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live earlier this year. “It got to the point where I was never gonna audition for Marvel again. I was like, ‘This is stupid, I’m never gonna be in a Marvel movie.’”

He got more specific, revealing at least two movies within the franchise that he auditioned for but didn’t get. Chris also spoke about a couple of other popular franchises that turned him down.

Head inside to see all of the roles that Chris Pratt got turned down for within the Marvel Cinematic Universe…

Adam Brody is getting candid about his audition lows.

The 43-year-old River Wild star shared about his experiences during an appearance on Just for Variety with Marc Malkin, out now.

During the conversation, Adam reflected on his less successful auditions over the years.

At one point, he auditioned for Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s infamous Gigli, for the role that went to Justin Bartha.

Keep reading to find out more…More Here! »

Miley Cyrus had to step back from her role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

If you forgot, the 30-year-old “Flowers” superstar made a brief cameo playing a character named Mainframe in a post-credit scene for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

Mainframe returned for the third entry to the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise.

However, she was no longer played by Miley, who was replaced by Tara Strong.

Director James Gunn briefly explained what happened earlier this month.

Keep reading to find out more…More Here! »

Florence Welch‘s beloved Florence + the Machine song “Dog Days Are Over” is used in a pivotal moment at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and she has shared a video of herself watching the scene.

The song provides such an uplifting moment that you won’t soon forget.

Keep reading to find out more…More Here! »

Pete Davidson had a very secret role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Three days after the movie hit theaters, director James Gunn revealed just who Pete portrayed (and voiced!) in the newest Marvel movie.

Keep reading to find out more…More Here! »

Fans of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise know that music plays an integral part to the movies and the most pivotal song in the third film is without a doubt Florence + the Machine‘s “Dog Days Are Over.”

The song is one of the final ones heard in the movie and it provides such an uplifting moment that you won’t soon forget.

Need some help learning the lyrics or finding that download link? We have you covered!

Keep reading to find out more…More Here! »