How Dave Bautista Saved Chris Pratt's Guardians Of The Galaxy Audition

The first "Guardians of the Galaxy" remains one of the high watermarks of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) that managed to capture lightning in a bottle, when it danced its way into theaters back in 2014. The long superhero saga that finally culminated with "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame" was a staggering accomplishment, balancing a multitude of beloved comic book characters with unrivaled action set pieces and high emotional stakes. But there was something special about the rag-tag group of misfits in James Gunn's far-out space opera that tapped into something truly magical. 

The original rogues' gallery of Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Drax (Dave Bautista), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Groot (Vin Diesel), and Rocket (Bradley Cooper) overcame all odds to assemble one of the most unlikely team-ups in the history of the MCU. As the second theatrical release to kick off Marvel's Phase 5 after the fairly disappointing "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3" is poised for a great run at the box office, but that will likely be the last go-around for these characters for the foreseeable future. Fans should prepare themselves for an emotional rollercoaster that could feature some major deaths that will shake the Guardians to their core. 

The bond between the cast and their director has been well-documented after they all rallied around Gunn when he was unceremoniously fired for elicit comments and insensitive jokes that were dug up as part of a public smear campaign. Bautista and Pratt, in particular, were very vocal in their support at the time. Seeing the closeness they all share, it's difficult to imagine any other actors playing these roles, but Pratt may have never landed the part of Star-Lord if it wasn't for some choice words from Gunn during a crucial moment, and a last-minute save from Bautista during Pratt's original audition. 

Initially, James Gunn and Marvel weren't exactly on the same page when it came to casting the Guardians. To secure the lead role of Peter Quill aka Star-Lord, over 200 actors were brought in to audition. "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" star Glenn Howerton was reportedly Gunn's second choice after he saw Pratt compete for the role, thanks to casting director Sarah Halley Finn who insisted on giving the lovable schlub from NBC's "Parks and Recreation" a shot. 

Gunn had a feeling right away that Pratt was the one, but Marvel wasn't convinced; It also didn't help matters when Pratt dropped the ball during his screen test. Pratt remembered exactly what Gunn said to him after stopping him and giving him a sobering, but much-needed pep talk. As told to The Hollywood Reporter, Pratt recalled Gunn saying, "I don't know what you're doing, but you're blowing it." To soften the blow, Gunn played a little bad cop, good cop. "This is the moment right now," pleaded Gunn. "You just need to stop doing whatever you're doing and just be real. Just be you." 

For Pratt, the only words he heard were "You're blowing it, you're blowing it" rattling around in his head. That could've been it for Pratt, who must've been feeling the weight of what could potentially be a life-changing moment. Each actor that was eventually cast never had to act inside a vacuum, and Gunn realized that Pratt was used to an ensemble on "Parks and Rec" and quickly called an audible. Enter former wrestler Dave Bautista from stage left. 

According to THR, Bautista was definitely in the running to play the humorless Drax the Destroyer, but had yet to land the role officially. Gunn instructed both actors to just riff and improv with each other which proved to be a fantastic call. They had immediate chemistry together and Pratt landed the coveted role. 

Bautista was still in the bubble for a little while longer, alongside actor Karen Gillan who eventually won the part of Gamora's tortured sister, Nebula. Gillan was apparently hamming it up a little too much and "was kind of doing a generic villain thing," she remembered. Gunn advised her to just do an impression combining Marilyn Monroe and Clint Eastwood, and the rest was history. 

Dating back to the birth of the MCU with the first "Iron Man," Marvel has a history of being a little reluctant at times to cast actors that, luckily, wind up being perfect for the part. Similar to "Iron Man" director Jon Favreau, Gunn seems to have a gut feeling when it comes to casting. With the first "Guardians of the Galaxy," however, the risk was twofold. No big names were attached as any of the main Guardians, and the movie was set to be the first Marvel film that hadn't been directly tied in yet with the rest of the MCU. It was predicted that "Guardians of the Galaxy" would be Marvel's first flop, but instead, it went on to gross over $730 million at the global box office. Now, the end of the Guardians trilogy could help rid audiences of their superhero fatigue as they say a heartfelt goodbye to the unlikely friends they've made along the way. 

"Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3" blasts into theaters on May 5, 2023.