Less than a week ago, we heard tell that the casting pool for the role of Peter Quill (aka Star Lord) in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY had been whittled down to just three people: Jim Sturgess, Zachary Levi, and an unnamed third person. This was according to a Variety article found here, but if it seemed a bit off to you as Zachary Levi already has an entirely different role in THOR: THE DARK WORLD, then… well, you were right.
Writer/director James Gunn took to Facebook and discounted Variety’s scoop with the following statement: “Almost everything in that Variety article on the Guardians of the Galaxy casting (and all the following articles based on it) was/is completely inaccurate. Just for the record.”
Which of course only makes things that much more murky as it means all of the original actors reported to be in contention for the part are, in fact, still in contention. That was a list that included Lee Pace (THE FALL, LINCOLN), Jim Sturgess (CLOUD ATLAS, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE), Joel Edgerton (WARRIOR, ZERO DARK THIRTY), Jack Huston (“Boardwalk Empire”, OUTLANDER), Eddie Redmayne (LES MISERABLES, MY WEEK WITH MARILYN), Garrett Hedlund (TRON: LEGACY, ON THE ROAD), Sullivan Stapleton (300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE, ANIMAL KINGDOM), and James Marsden (X-MEN, STRAW DOGS).
In an interesting turn of events though, Gunn’s statement has since disappeared from his Facebook page. So whatever the hell that means. Stay tuned for more news, as maybe all of this back and forth and hullabaloo will inspire Marvel to make a decision and let us in on what’s really happening. Or maybe not, as GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY is the studio’s riskiest upcoming cinematic property and the decision of which actor will lead it (and a potential new franchise) is not one to be made lightly. Any way and either way, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY arrives in cinemas on August 1st, 2014.