The identity of Peter Quill’s father in the Marvel Cinematic Universe may still be a mystery, but the race to find the actor to play him in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 recently encountered a new development. Last week, it was reported that Marvel is eyeing The Hateful Eight star Kurt Russell for the role, with negotiation meetings said to be coming up. Now Russell has confirmed he has had discussions with the studio about joining the movie, but speaking frankly, he was just as surprised hearing he was being considered as fans were.
Unlike most of the regular moviegoers around the world, Russell has yet to see Guardians of the Galaxy, so while appearing on MTV’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, Russell informed the host that he needs to watch the first movie before considering the sequel. As he put it:
I literally got a phone call two days ago about this, I’ve never seen Guardians of the Galaxy so I don’t know anything about it. Many times I’ve heard ‘That’s a really fun movie, a really good movie [with] great characters.’ I don’t know it! So, I didn’t realize that [James Gunn] had written and directed it, but 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 [the script], and I have to watch the [first] movie because I can’t bring anything for you [right now]. 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... it’s a little weird.
Kurt Russell is coming off a strong year, having starred as Mr. Nobody in Furious 7 and Sheriff Franklin Hunt in Bone Tomahawk, and will be seen this Friday as John "The Hangman" Ruth in The Hateful Eight. Joining Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 would be another great project for him, and taking into account all of Russell’s past snarky roles, it seems like he would be an excellent fit as Peter Quill’s father. That said, Russell is a Hollywood veteran, so it’s understandable he would want to learn more about this franchise before deciding if he wants to get involved.
Because Peter’s father won’t be Emperor J’Son of Spartax like he is in the comics, there are few details we know about him in the MCU. Described as both and angel and a jackass, he’s a member of an ancient race of aliens that the Nova Corps had never seen before. It was rumored last month that he would be the MCU’s adaptation of Silver Age hero Mar-Vell, but that was later debunked by director James Gunn. It’s still unclear how the enigmatic individual will enter the picture, but if Russell ends up taking the part, we can only hope that his brand of humor and Chris Pratt’s will mesh well together.
Whether he’s played by Russell or another big actor, Peter Quill’s father will debut when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is released on May 5, 2017.
