Chris Pratt Is The Lead In GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

Six months ago I would have scoffed at Chris Pratt, the lovable dimwit from Parks and Rec, playing the lead in a Marvel movie, but after seeing Zero Dark Thirty I totally get it. Marvel wanted a combination of comedy and manliness for the lead human role in Guardians of the Galaxy, and his DEVGRU turn in ZDT proved that Pratt does that. He's more than just a joker, he's a guy you can buy delivering a doubletap in the right circumstances.

Pratt will play Star Lord, aka Peter Quill, a human astron(a)ut who finds himself in deep space alongside the divergent aliens that make up the Guardians of the Galaxy. I don't know if Pratt's going to be the only live action character on the team, but it's possible - the rest of the group is made up of talking raccoons, sentient trees and big green people. 

Is this casting happening now because Marvel needs a Star Lord to appear at the end of Iron Man 3? Rumors have Iron Man taking off into space at the finale of his third film and meeting up with the Guardians. We all sort of assumed he'd just be meeting a CGI character as part of the tease, but with Pratt locked in I wouldn't be surprised if Peter Quill shows up at some point. Hell, maybe he'll show up in the background of Iron Man 3, on TV or something. 

What do you think? Is Pratt a good choice? I think he's absolutely right for the slightly comic tone James Gunn's movie will go for.