Chris Pratt played Peter Quill AKA Star-Lord, he did so brilliantly, and the rest is history. However, the character could have been played by a number of different actors who would have portrayed him very differently. Believe it or not, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Glenn Howerton was actually the closest to Pratt in the running for the role. Director James Gunn has said that, although Howerton auditioned late, he very nearly got the call to play the main character. Zachary Levi and Jim Sturgess were the next closest to landing the role and made it down to the final four, while other actors like Eddie Redmayne, James Marsden, Garrett Hedlund, Lee Pace, Jim Sturgess, Joel Edgerton, John Krasinski, Aaron Paul and Joseph Gordon-Levitt were all seriously considered.
