MCU: 15 most perfectly cast actors in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Marvel Studios’ AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR
L to R: Star-Lord/Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel)
Photo: Film Frame
©Marvel Studios 2018
12. Chris Pratt
Character: Star-Lord/Peter Quill
The beauty of a cinematic universe is that the events which impact the characters within it don’t just have to take place across various sequels and ensemble pieces, they can also spawn their very own spin-offs. And this, in a way, is exactly what the Marvel Cinematic Universe did with Guardians of The Galaxy.
While The Avengers were busy battling Ultron (and their own respective antagonists in their solo adventures), the Guardians were instrumental in setting up the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s endgame (pun intended). However, in order to do that, they had to do it alone – meaning that they couldn’t rely on any of the Marvel Cinematic Universe headliners to help them out. With that in mind, Marvel needed to find a new leader. Chris Pratt turned out to be just that.
Having made a career for himself on TV, as well as playing a number of supporting roles on film, he was undoubtedly best known for his comedic performance in Parks and Recreation. Thus, on the surface, he appeared to be a rather unorthodox choice to lead the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s new subsidiary. However, he had absolutely no problem proving himself and, from the moment that the first Guardians trailer debuted, any potential doubts were immediately laid to rest.
Much like the casting of Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man shaped the direction of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Chris Pratt’s leading performance as Star-Lord was largely responsible for the success of Guardians of the Galaxy and allowed the saga to produce its most genuinely fun outing. As a result, Peter Quill was full of charm, charisma and even possessed an inability to take things seriously – one that would undoubtedly make Tony Stark proud.
It’s no surprise that Pratt became one of Hollywood’s biggest leading men after this. He proved himself on an incredibly grand stage, letting us know that the lesser-known Peter Quill and his beloved band of misfits were worthy of our time and that he, beyond a shadow of a doubt, belonged front and center of the Guardians franchise. Not bad Peter, not bad at all.