A fantastic piece of potential casting news arrived a few weeks ago in the form of an update on Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. We learned that hot on the heels of Matthew McConaughey passing on a role in the highly anticipated sequel, Kurt Russell was being eyed by Marvel and writer/director James Gunn. Not only that, but the part that Russell is being sought for is that of Star-Lord’s father—a pitch perfect piece of casting considering the swagger of Chris Pratt’s character.
The report cautioned that this was still in the very early stages, with discussions between Russell and Marvel having not even taken place yet, and indeed Russell himself now confirms that he’s only just spoken to Gunn. Not only that, but during his appearance on the HappySadConfused podcast (via CBM), the Hateful Eight actor admits he still hasn’t seen Guardians of the Galaxy:
“I literally got a phone call two days ago about this. I’ve never seen Guardians of the Galaxy. I don’t know anything about it. I’m one of the four idiots that’s never seen it. Many times I’ve heard ‘That’s a really fun movie, a really good movie [with] great characters.’ I don’t know it.”
It’s tough to agree to be in a sequel to a movie you’ve never seen, so Russell says he told Gunn he needs some time to become familiar with the material first:
“I didn’t realize that the man [James Gunn] had written and directed it. So we talked to each other on the phone and I just had to be honest and say, ‘Thank you for considering me, I have to read it, and I have to watch the movie because I can’t bring anything for you. I’ve got nothing to offer here.’ So, I’m amazed to get asked about this because everybody knows more about it than I do.”
This is some pretty amusing insight into the world of trade reporting. Sometimes, when you hear an actor is being “eyed” for a part, that actor may not even know they’re in consideration for said project. As is clear here, Russell has only just recently been made aware of the interest from Marvel, so it’ll be interesting to see if he accepts the part. Given the pedigree of the talent Marvel has been tapping lately, from Tilda Swinton to Cate Blanchett, it doesn’t seem out of the question.
Production on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 begins in February in anticipation of the film’s May 5, 2017 release date.
