Guardians of the GalaxyJoel Edgerton failed his
Published on January 15, 2026 EDT He says the world is a 'much better place' because he's not Star-Lord.

Power off the Walkman real quick for the latest Guardians of the Galaxy development: Joel Edgerton has shared new details about his failed audition for the role of Star-Lord.

Edgerton surmised that he didn't get the part — which went to Chris Pratt — because he couldn't nail the vibe of the 2014 movie from the script.

"Star-Lord’s a good one, actually, because I, unlike Chris, didn’t quite sort of understand the tone of it the way he did and the way that those guys did,” he said. “And I wasn’t really sure how I could be a part of that tone."

Edgerton added, "And I truly think that the world is a much better place [because] I’m not Star-Lord, even if I had the opportunity or I did a good enough audition, because it is the way it’s meant to be. There was never a real conversation that it would have definitely been me. It was just I had the opportunity to try and audition. I just didn’t quite understand it.”

John Lamparski/WireImage; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Courtesy Everett

Edgerton has yet to make his debut in the superhero space, though he's no stranger to the action and sci-fi genres. (See: Star Wars and the series Obi-Wan Kenobi.)

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From director James Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy followed a ragtag group of space criminals who come together to save the universe from a villain and his all-powerful orb. Pratt led the ensemble cast, which was also made up of Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, and Lee Pace. Two more films followed: 2017's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and 2023's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Other actors who've tested for Star-Lord include Jack Huston, Eddie Redmayne, Glenn Howerton, and Adam Brody.

Brody spoke about his audition to Variety last year. "I wanted that one,” he said, admitting that Pratt was a better fit. “He is bigger, stronger — but tonally, I really dug it.”

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