Chris Pratt's introduction into the Marvel Cinematic Universe was a watershed moment for his career, to say the least. After Guardians of the Galaxy helped rocket the Terminal List actor to superstardom, the jacked Pratt was the variant the world latched onto. But before he became Star-Lord, his claim to fame was his role as Parks and Recreation character Andy Dwyer, a lovable dude with a dad bod. And when the shepherds of the MCU came a calling, that changed for Mr. Pratt, and it resulted in a scene on the hit show needing to be scrapped.
In the soon to be released book MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, authors Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards dive into the massive franchise's now-storied history. CinemaBlend was able to get an advanced copy of the book, and in Chapter 11, aptly titled “Our Brand Is Chrises,” the story of how Parks and Rec co-creator Michael Schur ran into an unexpected roadblock was recalled. Here’s Schur’s recollection on the matter:
We realized we couldn’t do it. Andy is not a guy who has a perfectly constructed human form with ripped abs and gigantic biceps.
Admittedly, this Guardians of the Galaxy tale almost sounds like a story from the Multiverse at this point, especially if you compare Andy Dwyer to Peter Quill. The difference is like night and day, even when you take into account that Chris Pratt had already lost weight for Zero Dark Thirty, and decided to keep it off. (Apparently, the shape of an MCU superhero also rivals that of the modern warfighter.)
The actor had to miss a chunk of Parks and Rec Season 6 while filming James Gunn’s 2014 Marvel epic, and part of those responsibilities included buffing up for his first outing as Quill. Which of course included those infamous claims of the star's extensive water drinking as part of the process. While one could question his hydration intake, it’s an incontrovertible fact that his casting in Guardians had a major impact, establishing him as a hardbody with a sense of humor.
More recently, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’s ending promised the return of the legendary Star Lord, while The Terminal List Season 2 is still a going concern. With that in mind, Mr. Pratt probably won’t be going back to his Andy Dwyer shape any time soon. There will, thankfully, always be stories of his triumphs in humor, like that iconic Parks and Rec ‘Flu Season’ line. But sitting beside that legacy will be the transformation that saw Pratt go from Andy to Peter, thanks to an insane training regimen, and a questionable amount of water.
You can purchase MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios wherever you pick up your reading materials, starting October 10th. And if you want to revisit the complete Guardians of the Galaxy saga, a Disney+ subscription is your ticket to the forever and beautiful sky this series has traversed over nearly a decade.
