Chris Pratt got the Marvel and DC fandoms talking recently when he claimed that he will “100%” be both returning to the MCU as Star-Lord and reuniting with former Guardians of the Galaxy helmer James Gunn in the newly minted DCU. In the process, Pratt seemed to cement long-held rumors that he’s all set to play one key DC character.
That character is, of course, Batman. No, wait, put down those pitchforks, I am in jest. Ever since Gunn released the full slate of movies and TV shows that will make up DC Chapter One: Gods & Monsters, fans have felt pretty confident that they knew who would be playing the title role in the Booster Gold TV series. A cocky, comedic-leaning superhero? That’s a character who’s got Pratt’s name all over him.
Except, despite Pratt only ramping up the rumors that he’s the DCU’s Booster Gold, there is another actor on the rise who would be even more perfect for the part. Enter Glen Powell…
Chris Pratt isn’t the DCU’s perfect Booster Gold, Glen Powell is
Glen Powell is having a moment right now. After breaking onto the scene in Top Gun: Maverick, the 35-year-old has followed that up with numerous high-profiles roles that run the genre gamut — he’s been in everything from romcom Anyone But You to disaster flick Twisters to Netflix action-comedy Hit Man. Clearly, one of the few genres he’s yet to tick off is the superhero movie. But the opportunity is surely right around the corner.
And, if it is, then Booster Gold is really the best bet for him. Sure, Pratt would suit the character well, but there is the danger that it would reduce Booster to just Peter Quill 2.0. On the other hand, Powell is primed to give his take on the superhero archetype and his immense popularity right now make it obvious that he would be an incredible asset to a newborn franchise that needs to draw in audiences like the DCU.
One-to-one comic book faithfulness is probably overrated, but, for what it’s worth, Powell is also such a dead ringer for Booster in the source material, what with his tousled blonde locks and face and body shape, that it’s almost uncanny. As for Pratt, it’d be much more fun to see him play a villain next time around — maybe even against John Cena’s Peacemaker!
To be fair, Powell has indicated that he’s not in a hurry to join a comic book franchise, with The Hollywood Reporter noting in an interview that he’s looking to avoid “Marvel fare.” But, I mean, he didn’t say he wants to avoid DC fare? Plus, Gunn has a knack for convincing people you never expected to see in a superhero film to join in the fun. We are talking about the man who got Bradley Cooper to voice a raccoon, after all.
I’m just saying, Glen Powell is the gold-standard Booster Gold we deserve. Let’s not settle for Booster Silver or Booster Bronze.