Jason Momoa on Why He Turned Down Guardians of the Galaxy

Actor Jason Momoa has made a name for himself playing tough, silent characters, so it came as a bit of a surprise when he didn't get the role of Drax the Destroyer for Guardians of the Galaxy. Between Momoa's stints as Ronon in Stargate: Atlantis, Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones and Conan the Barbarian in the 2011 reboot of the same name, Drax seems like a perfect fit for the up-and-coming actor. According to the Sun and Stars himself, that was the problem.

In an interview with Zap2it, Momoa revealed that he backed out after auditioning because Drax was too similar to so many of the characters the actor has portrayed. Understandably, he doesn't want to feel pigeonholed as the "brute."

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Guardians of the Galaxy: Drax the Destroyer

"I think it's perfectly cast," said Momoa. "Dave [Bautista] is perfect for that role, for Drax. It didn't really fit in my time because I've done so many things where I don't say much and I'm colored up and I have my shirt off again. I made a conscious choice to turn down some movies that were action-based to direct 'Road to Paloma' so people could see that side."

There was also a more personal reason for his decision not to pursue the opportunity. "I want my children to see their father happy. It's not that it's not a good role, it just wasn't the right thing. I was on Stargate: Atlantis for four years playing a similar character called Ronon, who was an alien who didn't say much and grunted. I've been there and done that, whether people have seen it or not. You want to stretch."

The actor went on to talk briefly about his audition with Chris Pratt, who leads the Guardians as Star Lord. "One of the funnest auditions I've ever done in my life was with him. He's phenomenal. He's going to kill it. It's going to be amazing. It’s a whole Han Solo vibe. It's going to be a phenomenal movie. I'm glad that he is the lead of that. He's funny as hell, man. He can improv; he just acts circles around me. It was really, really fantastic."

Jason Momoa's turn as the titular Conan the Barbarian.

When asked whether or not he's interested in any other comic book roles, Momoa played it coy, replying, "There's definitely some, absolutely. I was a huge comic book fan, and I still am. I'm not going to tell you the ones I collect, because then you'd know." It's worth noting that he recently shot down rumors surrounding his potential involvement with DC's tentatively titled Batman vs. Superman.

While it would have been fun to see Momoa reprise a role he's perfected over the years, it's hard to argue with his motivation. Would you have liked to have seen the Stargate actor join the Guardians, or do you think he made the right choice?

Via Blastr

Talk to Jared on Twitter at @Larson_Jared.

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