Chris Pratt has likened his character from The Electric State to his iconic portrayal of Star-Lord in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise.
The Netflix film, which is directed by The Russo Brothers, follows Michelle Greene (Millie Bobby Brown) and John D Keats (Pratt) as they embark on an adventure to find her long-lost brother in a war-torn world of humans and sentient robots.
Following its release on Netflix on Friday, Pratt has spoken with Entertainment Weekly about his latest character, explaining how Keats and the Marvel superhero are both “products” of their respective times.
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“They're both products of the same era, and so there's a similarity in the sense of nostalgia for an era that's bygone,” he said. “Although it's an alternate version [in The Electric State], it's the '90s.
“Obviously, [Peter] Quill has all of these pop culture references to the '80s, things that helped inform him and who he was before he left Earth at 13. Keats is also a product of that time. So in that regard, they're similar.”
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Pratt, who played Quill/Star-Lord in all three instalments of the Guardians series, elaborated further by noting the characters’ journeys from rebellious outsider to group leader, noting that they both often found themselves in situations bigger than themselves.
“I guess as a character arc goes, they have a journey; they find something bigger than themselves to want to fight for and are willing to sacrifice themselves for,” he explained. “There's him talking to an animated character through the course of it.
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“So I guess, even now, just in this interview, I'm realising that there are similarities… He kind of feels like what Peter Quill could have been if he didn't get picked up and go to space, but instead lived through a robot war and went on the run with his robot friend.”
Despite possessing some similarities, Pratt was keen to note that Keats and Star-Lord differed in some aspects, saying: “I think [Keats] is less competent than Star-Lord. I think he's a bit more inept, a bit more of a goofball, and looks different, the hair and the moustache.”
The Electric State is streaming on Netflix now. All three Guardians of the Galaxy movies and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special are streaming on Disney+.
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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.
