10 Movie Roles That Almost Were Cast VERY Differently
2. Glenn Howerton as Starlord (Guardians of the Galaxy)
When Chris Pratt was cast as Star Lord in The Guardians of the Galaxy, he was best known for playing loveable, well-meaning man-child Andy in Parks and Recreation. However, had his commitment to the NBC sitcom prohibited Pratt from taking on the role, director James Gunn had the polar opposite of sitcom stars in mind as his second choice.
Glenn Howerton is best known for his role as Dennis Reynolds in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. A series with a heart much, much darker than the world of Leslie Knope and the Pawnee parks department. Howerton plays the sociopathic sex addict and probable serial killer with aplomb, and it's fun to ponder just how he would have played Star Lord.
He'd certainly have made a compelling space scoundrel, and would have given audiences a brasher, cockier version of Peter Quinn. There's an edge to the characters Howerton plays, and this would have complimented James Gunn's writing style perfectly. Jumping ahead in this alternate timeline to Avengers: Endgame, it's disappointing that we'll never see the Golden God take on the God of Thunder. Such a missed opportunity. To quote Howerton himself "it still hurts y'all".