Chris Pratt Reveals He Bombed Auditions For Nearly Every Marvel Hero Before Becoming Star-Lord

Every superhero origin story has its rocky beginning, and it turns out the actors behind the capes and blasters often have one of their own. Long before Chris Pratt became a household name as Peter Quill, he was just another struggling actor trying to break into an industry that kept closing doors on him.

Pratt has built one of the more unlikely superstar résumés in Hollywood, going from a supporting sitcom role on Parks and Recreation to leading one of Marvel’s most beloved franchises. That journey, as it turns out, was paved with a long string of rejections that almost convinced him superhero movies simply were not in the cards for him.

During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Pratt opened up about just how many Marvel roles he tried and failed to land before finally landing Star-Lord in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy.’ When Kimmel asked if he had auditioned for Captain America, Pratt did not hold back, confirming he chased nearly every role Marvel had to offer during that stretch of his career.

Pratt told Kimmel he had a rough run trying to break into the studio’s lineup of heroes, and the Thor audition in particular stuck with him. He explained that he was not even trying out to play Thor himself, but rather one of the character’s sidekicks, and he still did not receive a callback for the part.

According to Pratt, the feedback he did get from that audition was memorably blunt. He recalled that the casting director told him he had really made a big choice with his performance, a comment Pratt understood to mean he needed to tone the acting down considerably.

The rejections were not limited to just those two roles. Pratt explained that he pursued nearly anything Marvel put out that called for someone who physically resembled him, submitting tapes and attending in-person auditions only to be turned away time and time again.

Sometimes the answer came before he even had a chance to audition in person, with casting teams telling him they did not need to see him at all. Other times he would show up for the audition itself, only to be told afterward that it would be the last time they wanted to see him for anything.

That repeated pattern eventually chipped away at his confidence, according to Pratt, who admitted he started to believe he simply lacked the star quality Marvel was looking for in its heroes. He reached a point where he assumed his chances of ever landing a role in the franchise were over for good.

Of course, that all changed when Pratt eventually won the role of Peter Quill in 2014’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy,’ a part that turned him into one of the biggest action stars in Hollywood. Kimmel pointed out the irony of the situation directly, noting that Pratt clearly did have the factor casting directors kept insisting he lacked.

Pratt’s honesty about the process has resonated with fans and aspiring actors alike, offering a rare glimpse into just how unpredictable and demoralizing the audition process can be, even for performers who go on to lead billion dollar franchises. His path to Star-Lord stands as one of the more well documented examples of persistence paying off in an industry built on rejection.

The role ultimately reshaped the trajectory of his career, leading him through three ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ films, multiple Avengers appearances, and a long list of other blockbuster credits. What Marvel role do you think would have suited Chris Pratt if one of those early auditions had actually worked out? Let us know in the comments.