Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill aka Star Lord is widely considered one of the most colorful and entertaining characters in Marvel. Apart from being the face of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, it was Star Lord’s beautifully etched origin story involving his mother and his absent father, that touched a chord with audiences worldwide.
While Chris Pratt played the nuances of his character with ease and perfection, the backstory of Star Lord that made him who he is, was almost not written into the cinematic script. Avengers filmmaker Joss Whedon, who was consulted by James Gunn for Guardians of the Galaxy, was ultimately instrumental in ensuring that Peter Quill’s history was included.
Chris Pratt’s Star Lord Became One Of Marvel’s Most Loved Heroes Thanks to Joss Whedon
One of the most endearing aspects of Peter Quill aka Star Lord played by Chris Pratt in Guardians of the Galaxy, was his emotional attachment to his mixed tape of songs made by his mother. This set of songs formed the backbone of the character’s origin story and featured in many pivotal emotional moments in Star-Lord’s narrative in Marvel. These aspects of the character’s backstory also made him relatable to audiences.
The main Marvel think tank though, was initially not keen on fleshing out this origin story. Instead, the early drafts included a grand history of Peter Quill as a member of intergalactic royalty, with his father being I’Son, emperor of the planet Spartax. James Gunn, who was directing the film, and producer Jeremy Latcham, had different visions for the character, which was also echoed by Marvel head Kevin Feige.
They found a kindred spirit in Avengers filmmaker Joss Whedon, who insisted that Chris Pratt’s Star Lord must be an average person to connect with audiences. In the book, MCU – The Reign of Marvel Studios, Latcham revealed Whedon’s firm statement in capital letters, on the consequences of following Marvel’s suggested path.
“IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS, YOU DO NOT HAVE A MOVIE.”
Pratt’s seamless humor as Star Lord was also a result of Whedon goading James Gunn to create a script that was true to the director’s own style as a writer, rather than adhering to the protocols of what the character was expected to be.
Chris Pratt Is Open To Playing Star Lord Again
James Gunn’s directorial swansong for Marvel was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, after which he made the jump to DC to take over the franchise as part of his new portfolio. Following his departure, stars like Zoe Saldaña and Dave Bautista have already gone on record to state that they were ending their association with Marvel. The film’s lead star Chris Pratt though, had different thoughts about his character Star Lord.
The Jurassic World actor spoke of James Gunn’s enormous influence in shaping the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise and lauded him as the reason behind the success of the films and also in developing his character. Having said that, Pratt was also of the opinion that he was not ready to give up playing Star Lord just yet, despite Gunn’s exit. In an interview with Total Film Magazine, the actor revealed that he was open to portraying the character again under certain important conditions.
“I don’t want to be cynical in the approach and if that’s the case, I just wouldn’t do it at all. So maybe down the road if something makes sense I would do it but it would really have to check a lot of the right boxes.”
Pratt also stated that he believed in honoring and upholding James Gunn’s unique vision for the character, and confessed that he would be willing to portray Star Lord again provided these tenets were met.
