Chris Pratt changed Hollywood leading men by shifting the industry’s focus toward actors with a lighter, more playful persona, a transformation Glen Powell credits for his rise to stardom. Since Pratt’s breakthrough role in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014, Hollywood has become more welcoming to leading actors who embrace humor and buoyancy alongside traditional toughness.
How Pratt’s Breakthrough Redefined Leading Men
Before Pratt’s rise, Hollywood favored leading men with intense, brooding personas, such as Christian Bale and Robert Pattinson during his Twilight years. Glen Powell struggled to secure major roles because he didn’t fit this mold. Pratt’s portrayal of Star-Lord showed that audiences and studios could embrace a leading man who combined charm with a sense of silliness. Powell expressed this shift clearly, stating,
“I remember when Chris Pratt broke out in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy.’ 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. And 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. 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.”
—Glen Powell, Actor
Glen Powell’s Rise in the Era of Modern Leading Men
Since that turning point in 2014, Powell has emerged among Hollywood’s sought-after stars. He has appeared in successful films like Anyone But You and Twisters, and will soon headline the action movie The Running Man, directed by Edgar Wright and scheduled for release on November 14 by Paramount Pictures. For this role, Powell prepared extensively, drawing on mentorship from his Top Gun: Maverick co-star Tom Cruise, who emphasized a physical and disciplined approach to the character Ben Richards, inspired by Stephen King‘s novel.
Powell described his preparation:
“I knew that based on the Stephen King book, [my character] Ben Richards was a tank. I was like, ‘Okay, I got to be a bit of a weapon.’ And so that’s why I trained the way I trained on this. I put on a lot of muscle. A lot of it was functional. A lot of it was so I could absorb hits. But a lot of it was also authentically for an audience… I went from going, ‘Oh, I’m an actor on a movie,’ to ‘I’m a high-performance athlete.’ And I’m just very lucky that I have someone like Tom who I could literally go, ‘Hey, what do I do to survive something?’”
—Glen Powell, Actor
Lessons and Humor From Tom Cruise on Set
Tom Cruise not only guided Powell’s physical training but also kept the actor grounded with good-natured teasing. Powell shared a humorous exchange about his unconventional on-set drink, a blend of mushrooms including ashwagandha, reishi, and Cordyceps, which he took to set in a mason jar before flying.
He recalled,
“You put ashwagandha and reishi and Cordyceps and all these things in your coffee. So I blended it, mixed it up, put it in this kind of a mason jar and brought it to set. I’m flying that day so I’m drinking this thing. But it’s all these ground-up mushrooms—it kind of looks like just this hearty, just disgusting…. [Tom] kind of looks at me for a second, he’s like: ‘You look like you’re drinking a stool sample. What is that?’ I was like, ‘Okay, this one, I took this too far.’”
—Glen Powell, Actor
Impact of Pratt’s Influence on Hollywood’s Future Leading Men
The influence of Chris Pratt’s breakthrough role has opened doors for actors like Glen Powell who bring a different, more dynamic energy to their leading parts. This shift offers Hollywood fresh options beyond the traditional dark and serious archetype, allowing a broader range of talent to shine. As Powell continues to headline major films and embrace physically demanding roles, the industry’s landscape for leading men is clearly evolving.
The embrace of more playful and relatable heroes signals that audiences are ready for diverse portrayals that combine strength with humor. With upcoming releases like The Running Man, audiences can expect to see how this new wave of leading men, inspired by Pratt’s example, will continue to redefine Hollywood’s star power.
