13 Movie Villains You Didn't Know Almost Played The Hero

11. Lee Pace Was Almost Peter Quill Before He Was Ronan The Accuser

As the Marvel juggernaut continues to gather pace, the summer sees the latest branch of the brand unveiled with the release of the Guardians Of The Galaxy movie - a brave, slightly odd decision considering the trajectory of the rest of the MCU. Diversity is of course a good thing, especially in light of Kevin Feige's equally courageous (and some might say fool-hardy) admission that the next 14 years of the MCU are already mapped out, but success is a must.

Thankfully for fans, it looks like the film will be based on the strong foundation of an excellent cast, with a Hans Solo-cocky Peter Quill in the shape of Chris Pratt and an enduring villain, implied in what has been glimpsed of Lee Pace's Ronan The Accuser so far. But it could have been so different as Pace originally came in, along with the likes of Aaron Paul, Garrett Hedlund, James Marsden, Jim Sturgess, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt to test for Star Lord.

Ultimately, Pratt's charisma probably got him the role, while Pace has shown in The Hobbit that his almost ethereal menace would translate well into a psychotic character like Ronan.