Parks and Recreation actor Chris Pratt is preparing to star in the new Marvel superhero movie Guardians of the Galaxy, and last week, he tweeted this photo of his absurdly muscular new superhero body after six months of working out and not drinking beer. TV Guide asked Parks and Rec showrunner/co-creator Mike Schur how theyâre going to explain why Pratt looks this way in the new season, and he said they might not even address it.
âI was as shocked as everybody,â Schur says. âI obviously knew he was getting in crazy good shape for this movie. He had already started by the time we wrapped last year. Weâd been through this once before when he did Zero Dark Thirty, but not like he is now. That picture was insane.â
Thatâs not the only thing the new season will have to explain. Chris Pratt will be missing a handful of episodes in the first half of Parks and Recâs new season due to filming Guardians, but heâll be back after that. Schur told Splitsider in May, âWeâre gonna have to explain his absence for a few episodes, but hopefully, it wonât be that disruptive.â Schur jokes to TV Guide, âThe only possible explanation for why someone looks that good is that theyâre planning to play a superhero in a summer blockbuster. There is a joke that I wrote in the premiere that I think weâll probably shoot that is a little tiny acknowledgement or nod to the fact that he looks very different to the way he normally looks. I donât think beyond a little joke about it that weâll end up doing anything significant. Weâre not going to suddenly say that Andy became a fitness nut because that doesnât ring true.â
He adds, âIf [Prattâs characterâs FBI alter ego] Burt Macklin were a real person, thatâs probably what heâd look like. Maybe weâll do a Fight Club thing where some of the scenes will be Andy looking like he normally does and some of the scenes will be Burt Macklin looking like he currently does.â Even though Schur was just joking, that idea actually sounds pretty awesome.