Michael Rosenbaum Reflects On His Failed Star-Lord Audition

When it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there are dozens of heroes floating around the […]

September 5, 2017, 5:03pm

When it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there are dozens of heroes floating around the franchise. The massive series has introduced a slew of earthbound heroes like the Avengers, and the cosmos has also got some love from the Guardians of the Galaxy. Director James Gunn brought the extraterrestrial series to life a few years back with Chris Pratt taking charge as Star-Lord. However, the role could have easily gone to another geek-friendly actor. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Michael Rosenbaum is opening up about his Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 work and his screen-test for Star-Lord.

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When Rosenbaum was asked about auditioning for Peter Quill for the first Guardians of the Galaxy film, the actor was quick to admit he was beyond nervous for the test.

“Yes, I was nervous as sh*t,” he said. “You’re sitting there with one of your best friends who’s directing a huge movie, who knows your ability and said, ‘I wanna see your take on Peter Quill.’ Now the pressure’s on. I just had to shut it off … I remember coming up with my own dance for the Star-Lord dance scene. I had a great partner, it felt really organic right from the start.”

However, there’s no bad blood between Rosenbaum and Pratt because of Star-Lord. The latter secured the leading role some years back, but Rosenbaum has since been given his own Guardians of the Galaxy role. In Gunn’s recent sequel, the former Smallville star was cast as an original Guardians of the Galaxy member named Martinex.

“You know, I didn’t really care about getting the part,” Rosenbaum said about Star-Lord. “I didn’t know anything about the Guardians comics. I just wanted to do a good job for James.”

“The way I look at it…I was privileged to be one of the few people that got to screen test. I was so honored and grateful that James had me audition.”

Set to the backdrop of ‘Awesome Mixtape #2,’ Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the team’s adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is written and directed by James Gunn (Slither). The film marks the return of the original Guardians, including Chris Pratt (Jurassic World) as Peter Quill/Star-Lord; Zoe Saldana (Star Trek Into Darkness) as Gamora; Dave Bautista (Spectre) as Drax; Vin Diesel (Furious 7) as the voice of Groot; Bradley Cooper (American Sniper) as the voice of Rocket; Michael Rooker (Jumper) as Yondu; Karen Gillan (The Big Short) as Nebula; and Sean Gunn (Gilmore Girls) as Kraglin. New cast members include Pom Klementieff (Oldboy), Elizabeth Debicki (The Great Gatsby, Everest), Chris Sullivan (The Knick, The Drop) and Kurt Russell (The Hateful Eight, The Thing).

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is in theaters now. Spider-Man: Homecoming lands on July 7, 2017, followed by Thor: Ragnarok on November 3, 2017. After that Black Panther debuts on February 16, 2018, while Avengers: Infinity War hits theaters on May 4, 2018. Ant-Man and the Wasp is slated for July 6, 2018, followed by Captain Marvel on March 8, 2019.