Glen Powell says Chris Pratt in Guardians of the Galaxy allowed leading men in action movies to be "sillier" and not "brooding" like Christian Bale

Glen Powell credits Chris Pratt's role as Star-Lord in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy for changing the game for Hollywood's action movie leading men

"I remember when Chris Pratt broke out in Guardians of the Galaxy," Powell told GQ. "There’s no doubt it really helped – not being brooding or dark. Like, I’m not Christian Bale. Christian Bale has a gravitas and a weight, and Pattinson had his thing."

Peter Quill, the leader of a ragtag band of extraterrestrial criminals-turned-universe-savers, was Pratt's first big movie role after making his name as Andy on sitcom Parks and Recreation.

"When Pratt kind of appeared on the scene where he was doing things that were a little more silly and buoyant, that’s where I feel most at home," Powell continued. "And that’s where I feel like I had a gear that is a necessary flavor in terms of Hollywood, and not a gear that a lot of guys can play."

Powell has since brought his "silly and buoyant" flair to roles like mild-mannered fake hit man Gary Johnson in action comedy Hit Man and Tyler Owens, a brash influencer storm chaser with a heart of gold, in Twisters.

Next up for the actor is something a little different, however: dystopian drama in The Running Man, directed by Edgar Wright and based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. He plays Ben Richards, a contestant on a game show in which he's chased across the world by murderous hunters. If he can survive for 30 days, he wins $1 billion.

The Running Man arrives in theaters on November 14. In the meantime, check out our guide to the other best upcoming movies still to come in 2025.