The MCU has been balancing talented performers and fantastical stories for over a decade now, and they continue to do so in style. Their output on the big screen has been impressive to see, and their seamless transition to television with shows like Loki has expanded the universe in profound ways. At this point, there is nothing slowing down the Marvel train.
Lee Pace is a tremendous performer who was brought into the franchise to play Ronan the Accuser back in 2014. Before being cast as Ronan, however, Pace had auditioned for an entirely different character.
Let’s see which MCU character Lee Pace auditioned for!
Lee Pace Has Had A Solid Career
Having been in the entertainment industry since the 2000s, Lee Pace is a performer who has put in an exceptional amount of work to get to where he is now. On both the big and small screen, the performer has delivered the goods on a consistent basis, establishing him as one of the most talented actors working today.
On the big screen, things took some time to get going for Pace. He would do well in smaller roles, eventually getting the chance to shine in larger projects. Some early wins for Pace include The Good Shepherd, A Single Man, and When in Rome. As time went on, Pace would appear in major projects like The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2, The Hobbit franchise, and Lincoln.
On the small screen, Pace has accomplished quite a bit, though his output is not as prolific as it is on the big screen. Pace made his debut back in 2001 on Law & Order: SVU before starring on Wonderfalls for 13 episodes. A huge break came when he was part of the main cast on Pushing Daisies, which is a show that has remained a cult favorite. Other notable shows include The Mindy Project and Robot Chicken.
Thanks to the great work that he has put in, Pace was a no-brainer for the folks at Marvel.
He’s Played Ronan The Accuser In The MCU Twice
In 2014, Guardians of the Galaxy burst into theaters and provided a breath of fresh air for both the MCU and the comic book movie genre. To date, it remains one of the best comic book movies ever made, and it took the rag-tag group from the pages and turned them into a force at the box office.
In the film, Lee Pace played Ronan the Accuser, who served as the primary antagonist. Pace was brilliantly cast in the role, and while he was eventually defeated by Quill and Co. he still put up quite a fight. Fans thought that Ronan was done in the MCU after the film, but he would make one additional appearance
2019’s Captain Marvel temporarily brought Ronan back for an appearance in the film, which was an awesome Easter egg for fans. The film took place long before the events of Guardians of the Galaxy, and Ronan looked noticeably different from his first MCU appearance. It added a layer of depth to Captain Marvel and really helped tie it into what had gone down in the MCU prior to the film’s release.
As great as Pace was as Ronan, initially, he was up for another role.
He Auditioned For Star-Lord
Filling the role of Star-Lord was a tall order for the folks at the MCU, and getting the casting choice right was imperative. Early on, Lee Pace was in contention for the role.
During the time of his audition, Pace said, “I go in on Monday to meet them all and audition for it, so wish me luck...I'm very excited about it. The script is great...I have been [reading up on Star-Lord]. You want to know what you're doing. The character is a lot of fun. I hope it works out. We'll see. We'll see. I've got to audition. I've got to go get it. I actually love auditioning, so I'm happy to go meet them all and do it.”
Other actors like Jim Sturgess, Glen Howerton, and Eddie Redmayne were all considered, as well. Ultimately, Chris Pratt would land the role of a lifetime and become a prominent figure in the MCU. Pratt also landed the lead in the Jurassic World franchise, meaning that he anchored two different film franchises simultaneously.
Lee Pace could have done a great job as Star-Lord, but he wound up being the perfect choice for Ronan on the big screen. Now that the multiverse is in full effect, we could see Ronan make a return, though it would be in variant form, giving the filmmakers some flexibility about bringing Pace back on board.
