After a search which included looks at Joel Edgerton, Jack Huston, Jim Sturgess, Lee Pace, Eddie Redmayne and Zachary Levi, Deadline.com has the exclusive reveal that Marvel Studios has picked their lead for Guardians of the Galaxy - Chris Pratt, of Moneyball, Zero Dark Thirty and Parks & Recreation fame.

Pratt will be playing the lead role of Peter Quill, aka Star Lord, a character who (at least in the comics) is a half-human, half-alien interplanetary policeman.

The Guardians of the Galaxy comic is about to undergo a rather anticipated relaunch as a part of the Marvel NOW program, so, any/all concepts of the character to date may be revised to better reflect the movie’s plans, but as it stands - Holy Crap! ANDY DWYER IS GOING TO BE THE LEAD OF A MARVEL FILM!

Guardians of the Galaxy, directed by James Gunn (Slither), is set for an August 1st, 2014 release.

Source: Deadline.com.