Chris Pratt was “never gonna audition for Marvel again” after failed Thor tryout
By Ashley Hurst
After landing the role of Star-Lord in the Guardians of the Galaxy series, Chris Pratt has gone on to become one of the most ubiquitous actors in Hollywood, landing a pivotal role in the Jurassic Park franchise and recently making his debut as Mario in The Super Mario Bros Movie. While it might seem like he’s the luckiest man in the industry, it wasn’t always that way. The actor was trying to break into the Marvel Cinematic Universe for years but kept being pushed away, to the point where he swore he was “never gonna audition for Marvel again.”
Pratt may have been trying to run before he could walk. First, he wanted to join Thor (2011), not as the title role but as a side character. That didn’t go well.
Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Pratt was asked about his history with Marvel Studios. “I auditioned for them all,” he said. “I had a rough run with Marvel. I auditioned for ‘Thor,’ but not even to be Thor — but to be one of the sidekick guys, and I didn’t get a callback.”
"Usually they give you a little bit of feedback, and I remember the casting director goes, ‘Wow. You really made a big choice there.’ Which is code for like: ‘Hey, dial back the acting there, guy.’"
Christ was almost done with Marvel before landing Guardians of the Galaxy
Pratt’s strategy for auditioning was pretty haphazard. Whenever a potential role came up, he jumped at the chance, even if there was only a slight chance of getting it. “Anything that came out that needed a guy that even remotely looked like me, I auditioned for in some way or another,” he said.
Actors are always told to learn to deal with setbacks, but that’s easier said than done. “It got to the point where I was never gonna audition for Marvel again,” he said. “I was like, ‘This is stupid, I’m never gonna be in a Marvel movie.'”
Eventually, he landed the part of Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord, in Guardians of the Galaxy, which would go on to become a beloved franchise. Star-Lord also appears in the Avengers movies and Thor: Love and Thunder.
Pratt will return for one final MCU outing in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which promises to be the most emotional movie yet. The movie premieres this week!
Next. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 drops the MCU’s first F-bomb!. dark
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