MCU
The most famous actors and actresses who were almost the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ in the MCU
The first installment of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ is ten years since its release, although its cast could have been very different.
‘Guardians of the Galaxy’, the first film in the galactic saga of Marvel Studios, celebrates these days the tenth anniversary of its original theatrical release, directed by James Gunn, a filmmaker who has just finished shooting ‘Superman’ for DC Studios. The Guardians of the Galaxy was an unexpected success for Marvel, since it was about a group of superheroes unknown to the public, but who managed to connect with the audience thanks in part to the charisma of its actors, led by Chris Pratt. However, the movie’s cast could have been very different, as many other stars of the moment almost took the roles of Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax or Nebula; who was on the verge of taking over such charismatic characters?
The Guardians of the Galaxy That Never Were
Let’s start with Star-Lord, the leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Actors like Zachary Levi -who would later be Shazam in the DCEU-, Adam Brody (‘The O.C.’), Jim Sturgess (‘One Day’) or John Krasinski -who was also cast as Captain America in the MCU and would later make the cameo as Reed Richards in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’- were cast for the role. However, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who turned down the role in favor of ‘Sin City: A Dame To Kill For’, while Glenn Howerton (‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’) was the runner-up to Chris Pratt: “It still hurts,” the actor confessed some time ago.
Gamora (Zoe Saldaña) is another prominent member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, a role for which actresses like Amanda Seyfried (‘Big Love’) turned down the part because of the endless makeup sessions, or Olivia Wilde (‘Booksmart’), who finally decided on ‘Better Living Through Chemistry’. We continue with the relentless Drax, finally played by former wrestler Dave Bautista.
Jason Momoa was on the verge of being Drax in the MCU, although he changed his mind at the last minute, not without some criticism; he eventually landed the role of Aquaman in the DCEU. Isaiah Mustafa (‘It Chapter Two’, also known for hilarious commercials for Old Spice deodorant) was the other finalist alongside Bautista.
The role of Nebula (Karen Gillan) also had several candidates, as in the case of Lupita Nyong’o - who finally got the role of Nakia in ‘Black Panther’ without casting - or Gal Gadot, who was offered the role of a character “painted in blue with a shaved head”, which is apparently Nebula. In the end, the actress stayed with the role of Wonder Woman in the DCEU. Other roles in the saga like Ego or Adam Warlock were offered to actors like Matthew McConaughey (‘Interstellar’) or George Mackay (’1917′).