James Gunn’s decision to cast Chris Pratt as Star-Lord in Guardians Of The Galaxy was regarded as a huge surprise when it was announced back in 2013. In fact it ultimately turned out to be a rather inspired choice. But there was an even more shocking comedian that almost usurped Chris Pratt to the role.
During Chris Pratt’s interview with GQ Magazine, James Gunn revealed that Glenn Howerton of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia fame auditioned for the role of the comic-book character soon after Chris Pratt had wowed the director. In fact the Super and Slither filmmaker admitted that if he hadn’t already decided that Chris Pratt was right for the part, then he would have hired Glenn Howerton instead. Said Gunn,
"Glenn came along a bit later, but there was a good chance that, if I didn’t cast Chris, that I would’ve cast Glenn Howerton in the role."
If Glenn Howerton had been cast as Peter Quill in Guardians Of The Galaxy then it would have been just as bold a choice as his decision to give Chris Pratt the part. In fact, it might have been a little easier for James Gunn to convince Marvel that Glenn Howerton was the right choice for Star-Lord . At the time that he was auditioning, the Parks & Recreation actor was a lot portlier than his current physique, which he molded and crafted in preparation for the blockbuster. Meanwhile, Glenn Howerton has always had a much skinnier and athletic frame than his counterpart. Something that he has often shown off while starring in It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia.
In fact, it’s hard to know exactly why James Gunn and his Marvel cohorts weren’t convinced to sign Glenn Howerton up for the film - especially after seeing his truly spectacular performances as both Danny Glover’s Roger Murtaugh and Mel Gibson’s Martin Riggs from the Lethal Weapon series in episodes of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. If you’ve not been privy to the show's magnificent attempts to add both a fifth and sixth installment to the action franchise, then you can watch a clip from their efforts below. Warning: it does feature a topless Danny DeVito having sex.
Unfortunate for Glenn Howerton, the fact that Chris Pratt beat him to the part means that Charlie Day is officially the biggest movie star out of the three leading male actors from It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia - a position that will only be reinforced with his upcoming turn in Horrible Bosses 2. I still know who I’d cast if the Lethal Weapon franchise is rebooted any time soon, though. Maybe Glenn Howerton has a shot there?
