5. Star-Lord aka Peter Quill (Bill Bodkin)
Peter Jason Quill, better known by his outlaw name Star-Lord, (It’s cool to have a codename, it’s not weird at all.) is one of the most unlikely and most awesome heroes in the MCU. Quill continues the grand tradition of smart aleck anti-hero space captains like Han Solo and Malcolm Reynolds before him. But there’s something more to Quill, both literally and figuratively. Yes, he’s part alien, but he’s also probably one of the more rich and complex characters in the MCU. He has all the characteristics of Han and Mal — he’s handsome, reckless, often duplicitous, but in the end has a heart of gold. He’s also the clown and the straight man, not unlike Big Trouble in Little China’s Jack Burton (played, of course, by Kurt Russell, who has reportedly signed on to play Quill’s father in Guardians 2). He’s able to deliver great, comedic lines, but also receive the proverbial pie in the face. He’s not the quip machine that Tony Stark is (thankfully) nor is he the butt of all jokes.
And that’s what makes Peter Quill a great MCU character — he’s pretty much an everyday guy who happens to be decent with a blaster, and lives in outer space. There’s nothing about him that makes him “super” outside of the aforementioned half-alien thing (because he literally doesn’t use this aspect of his character to the final five minutes). He’s not genetically enhanced like Captain America or even his fellow Guardians. He doesn’t have a cool suit like Iron Man. He doesn’t have special training like Black Widow. And despite his alien-ness, he’s not a god like Thor.
He’s literally just a dude who happens to like ’70s pop music and makes random pop culture references that go over everyone’s head but the audiences.
Chris Pratt was the perfect, and only choice to play Quill. The former chubby comedic actor known for his role on TV’s Parks & Recreation brought Star-Lord to life with his ability to be hilarious, charming, dim-witted, sharp as a tack, tough as hell, and cowardly all at the same time. The role could’ve easily been played as Han Solo light, but Pratt is able to imbue such energy and complexity to Quill. If Pratt isn’t amazing, Guardians of the Galaxy would have little to no resonance in the MCU and would’ve been swept under the carpet quickly.
Best Line: “They got my dick message!”
Best Moment: That’s like asking a parent to chose their favorite child. If there is one, it has to be the opening sequence. It sets the tone for Quill, and the entire film perfectly. We get this serious and typical Hollywood blockbuster opening — the dramatic music, the hero landing on an alien planet, etc. Then Redbone’s “Come And Get Your Love,” comes on and we get a silly montage of our hero dancing around and lip synching the song into a space rat’s face. It’s goofy and fun, and it tells us that Guardians and Peter Quill are unlike anything we’ve seen in the MCU.
https://youtu.be/JNlnQwHWSYw
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