Kevin Feige Reveals Reason For Casting Chris Pratt As Star-Lord

Casting an actor in a role within the Marvel Cinematic Universe can be a twofold decision. On one hand, you’re doing the practical thing, which is casting an actor in said role that can be maintained down the line as part of the ongoing MCU franchise. On the other hand, it sets up the potential for crossover material with other characters when the two inevitably cross paths. Take Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord, for example. Sure, Pratt is great in the role, but for Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, there was a long term explanation for this casting that centers around Mr. Iron Man.

In the book Marvel Studios: The First Ten Years, Feige explained that the reasoning behind casting Chris Pratt as Star-Lord wasn’t merely for the Guardians of the Galaxy films, but so he would one day be the one to cross paths with the MCU’s genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist, Tony Stark himself:

“We always cast for the movie we’re making, but we also have an eye on the future. So when we were casting Chris Pratt, we needed the best Star-Lord, but at the same time, we said, ‘We need somebody who one day might go toe to toe with Robert Downey Jr.'”

So indeed, it seems that this was all long game to get Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord to butt heads with Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark, and the two did eventually cross paths in Avengers: Infinity War. Though given Star-Lord’s impulsive actions against Thanos, perhaps this was a confrontation that was best left done over a video messenger. Though it does shed an interesting light on how these characters aren’t just cast for their respective films, but how they’ll also be utilized later on in the franchise.

Would you like to see Pratt’s Star-Lord cross paths with other characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe who he has yet to meet? Let us know in the comments below.

Avengers: Infinity War is available now on Digital HD, 4K, Blu-Ray, and DVD.

Source: Marvel Studios: The First Ten Years