The Guardians of the Galaxy franchise almost had a different leading man. Joel Edgerton recently shared on The Playlist’s Bingeworthy podcast that he auditioned for the role of Star-Lord, a character eventually portrayed by Chris Pratt in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series helmed by James Gunn. Edgerton admitted that he struggled to grasp the unique tone of the film, unlike Pratt and the creative team, which led him to believe that the role was better suited for someone else. Despite delivering a solid audition, Edgerton acknowledged that the casting decision was ultimately for the best.
During the podcast, Edgerton was joined by Jennifer Connelly, his co-star in the Apple TV+ series Dark Matter. Connelly, who previously lent her voice to Karen, the AI companion in Spider-Man: Homecoming, expressed her willingness to return to the Marvel universe in the future. She praised the quality of Marvel films and cited her husband Paul Bettany's positive experiences working with the studio and its talented ensemble of actors.
Dark Matter, based on Blake Crouch's novel, follows the story of Jason Dessen (played by Edgerton) as he navigates an alternate reality where he must save his family, including his wife Daniela (portrayed by Connelly). The sci-fi series premiered on May 8 and is set to release new episodes weekly until its finale on June 26.
