Chris Pratt set to lead 'Guardians of the Galaxy'

Chris Pratt's career is about to soar out of this world — or, more accurately, out of this galaxy.

EW has confirmed that the Parks and Recreation funnyman will play the lead character in Marvel's upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy, a key part of Marvel's Phase Two plan. Deadline first reported the news.

Pratt, who recently slimmed down (and bulked up) for his role in Zero Dark Thirty (pictured above), will play Star Lord, the half-human half-alien leader of a bio-engineered team of space-traveling heroes that includes a green-skinned warrior, a gun slinging raccoon, a female alien assassin, and a fearsome tree-being.

With director James Gunn, the man behind the shlocky masterpiece that is Slither, and newly-crowned leading man Chris Pratt, is there a chance that Guardians of the Galaxy will be an outright superhero comedy? The source material certainly suggests that the film could work as a totally ridiculous adventure, but, obviously we'll have to wait and see what tone the filmmakers choose.

For more on Guardians of the Galaxy, check out Anthony Breznican's Comic-Con report.

Anthony Breznican contributed to this report.

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