DC Studios co-head and Superman director James Gunn admits he probably would have considered casting Chris Pratt as the new Man of Steel if it wasn’t for one detail. During an appearance on the podcast Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, Gunn discussed the challenges of finding the right person to play Superman. At one point, it was mentioned that going with a relative unknown might be preferable to casting a more famous star since the audience won’t come in with as much baggage. Gunn responded by saying that as long as the casting is right, the actor’s level of fame doesn’t matter. And if Chris Pratt were younger, he would have been in the running for Kal-El.
“If the casting was right, I wouldn’t mind,” Gunn said regarding a famous actor playing Superman. “If Chris Pratt was 10 years younger, then I probably would have considered him for Superman. He’s got that boyish charm…”
Pratt, of course, has extensive history with Gunn, portraying Peter Quill/Star-Lord in the director’s three Guardians of the Galaxy movies and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. While the actor won’t be bringing Superman to life, Gunn hopes he can make Pratt a part of the DC Universe franchise at some point. In an interview with ComicBook while promoting Superman, Gunn noted that Pratt is “one of my closest friends in the world” and he’s always looking for the right role for the actor.
Before Pratt comes over to the DCU, he could have some Marvel obligations to fulfill first. Though Gunn’s time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is over, the post-credits stinger in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 confirmed that Star-Lord will return at some point in the future. Pratt is not among the stacked cast in Avengers: Doomsday (presumably due to production of his TV series The Terminal List), but Star-Lord could be featured in Avengers: Secret Wars or another MCU project.
Pratt’s interpretation of Superman could have been interesting. He would have been able to tap into some of the same sensibilities as Star-Lord, relying on his comedic chops to play the bumbling Clark Kent while also having an avenue to display his dramatic range (the Guardians movies have as much heart as they do humor). Pratt also possesses an everyman quality that would make his Superman relatable. If Pratt landed the Superman gig after making Guardians of the Galaxy, The LEGO Movie, Jurassic World, and more, there’d be potential risk of over-exposure. However, famous faces have brought iconic roles to life in the past. Being Han Solo didn’t stop Harrison Ford from becoming Indiana Jones, for instance. Ben Affleck and Robert Pattinson were established names when they were cast as Batman. Pratt could have been Star-Lord and Superman.
Gunn makes an intriguing point that A-list status shouldn’t prevent an actor from getting a certain part if they’re the right fit, and it’ll be interesting to see if he does find a spot for Pratt in the DCU at some point. At the same time, a case can be made that David Corenswet’s relative anonymity should be an asset for Superman, as it’ll arguably be easier for audiences to buy him as the Man of Steel since they aren’t coming in with many preconceived notions. Corenswet has been part of films like Pearl and Twisters, but Superman is the first time he’s headlined a project of this scale. And with Superman reviews praising the actor’s performance, it’s safe to say Gunn made a great choice.
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