TV Article Guardians of the Galaxy 2's Kurt Russell landed role with help from Chris Pratt By Nick Romano Nick Romano Nick is an entertainment journalist based in New York, NY. If you like pugs and the occasional blurry photo of an action figure, follow him on Twitter @NickARomano. EW's editorial guidelines Published on August 28, 2016 07:48PM EDT Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images Kurt Russell is officially part of the Guardians of the Galaxy squad, and he has his on-screen son, Chris Pratt, to thank for that. The Hateful Eight actor will play Star-Lord’s father, Ego the Living Planet, in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but writer-director James Gunn said he only thought of him for the role upon Pratt’s suggestion. “He was actually not in my head initially, but one day Chris suggested him, and I would have been really disappointed if he’d said no,” Gunn told Empire. “Hey, if you have to cast anything, Kurt’s a pretty good way to go.” Ego, on the other hand, isn’t your average character. In the comics, he’s a sentient planet able to produce humanoid anti-body creations to serve him. “You’re going to see these characters having to endure the realities of being in a family,” Pratt told the magazine. “You’re talking about a guy who’s been longing to know who his father is for a long time. He’ll discover if that person lives up to the expectations he has in his head.” Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will hit theaters on May 5, 2017.