Chris Pratt In Talks For Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Lead

First Published: February 6, 2013 2:45 PM EST Credit: Getty Images

Caption Chris Pratt arrives at ‘Moneyball’ Premiere at Roy Thomson Hall during the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2011 in Toronto

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Chris Pratt is reportedly in talks for the lead role in Marvel’s upcoming “Guardians of the Galaxy.”

According to multiple reports (The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline), the actor – best known for his role on “Parks and Recreation” and recently on the big screen in “Zero Dark Thirty” — is in talks to play Peter Quill, a pilot who ends up in space with a rag tag group of outlaws.

The comic book series (which debuted in 1969) has featured a slew of different characters over the years and on the big screen it will include Star-Lord (likely played by Pratt), Drax the Destroyer (a human resurrected as a warrior bent on killing Thanos – the villain seen at the end of “The Avengers”), Groot (an alien that resembles a massive walking tree), Gamora (the last living member of her species, who was once was Thanos’ assassin) and Rocket Raccoon (a genetically engineered critter with a love of explosives and weapons).

According to Deadline, if Pratt locks in the role, he’ll have beat out “Zero Dark Thirty” co-star Joel Edgerton, Jack Huston, Jim Sturgess, Lee Pace, and Eddie Redmayne and Zachary Levi. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was also reportedly once sought after for the lead role.

“Guardians of the Galaxy” is slated to blast into theaters on August 1, 2014.

-- Jesse Spero

Copyright 2013 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.