In an alternate universe, we could have seen another sitcom favorite headlining the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Guardians of the Galaxy. After James Gunn expressed reservations about Parks and Recreation‘s schlubby Andy Dwyer making for a convincing superhero, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia‘s Glenn Howerton was the filmmaker’s second choice to play Peter Quill behind Chris Pratt.
As bizarre and probably awesome as it would have been to see Dennis Reynolds save the universe, we can all agree that Gunn made the right call in the end. Prior to Guardians of the Galaxy turning him into a movie star in one fell swoop, Pratt had only appeared in a handful of feature films, and very rarely was he seen in anything more substantial than a supporting role.
One of the actor’s first major big screen outings came in 2009 comedy Bride Wars, where he played Fletcher Flemson, the put-upon fiancee of Anne Hathaway’s Emma. The plot is basically exactly what you’d expect from the title, with two childhood best friends choosing the same date and location for the nuptials they’ve each been planning since they were kids—pitting them against each other as they pull out every dirty trick in the book to win the bridal battle.
It may have earned close to $115 million at the box office, but it’s a terrible film. Bride Wars was savaged by critics and holds a pitiful 11% score on Rotten Tomatoes. But for whatever reason, it’s currently in the midst of a huge resurgence on Netflix. Since yesterday, Gary Winick’s comedy has shot up the viewership charts to rank as one of the 25 most-watched titles on the platform, a jump of 34 places.
