How 'Guardians of the Galaxy' changed Chris Pratt, James Gunn for the better

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” director James Gunn and star Chris Pratt are on a Zoom chat together discussing how each has influenced the other when Gunn commits a cardinal sin: He shifts his body and blocks the movie logo in the background.

“See, I would never do that,” Pratt quips.

“What I've learned from Chris is: Don't lean into the thing. And that's the end of my lessons from Chris Pratt,” Gunn says, laughing.

Gunn and Pratt are close collaborators and buds after three “Guardians” movies in the past decade, starting with Marvel's surprise 2014 hit and closing with an emotional finale (in theaters now). The pair talk about their memories, how they’ve changed and which icon had to be on the soundtrack this time.

Compassion drives Marvel’s third ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ movie

“Vol. 3” finds Pratt’s space hero Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord, leading the team on a mission to save their raccoon friend Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper). These outcasts have long looked after their misfit own, but more than ever, they want to help everyone.

“Compassion is the answer to all your problems on this planet,” Gunn says. “And if you can have compassion for all living things, it really helps you to live a much more fulfilling life. You get through things a lot easier. And that's what this movie's about more than anything else.”

Chris Pratt’s hero’s journey for Peter Quill is not exactly about being a superhero

Star-Lord's arc over three films has been about “becoming a Guardian of the Galaxy, learning that it's OK to give a (hoot) about something and to care about your friends,” Pratt says.

He’s just not sure it’s ultimately a “superhero” journey, though. Peter “has really been constantly redefining who he is and coming to terms with these new definitions of who he is based on the relationships in his life and the people in his life and what's going on with his life,” Pratt adds. “He's a little lost, and I like that every volume of this story, he's had something to learn and something to gain.”

That romantic balcony scene from the first 'Guardians' 'just wasn't working'

Looking back, Pratt recalls the balcony scene from the first “Guardians” – with Peter and Gamora flirting, falling for each other and revisiting the legend of “Footloose” – as one he wouldn’t mind another shot at now. “That was a tough day,” Pratt says. “It also happened to be my screen test material. When you're doing the scene that you auditioned with, it carries with it a bunch of baggage and weight and anxiety, you've done it a million times, and so you don't know how to make it fresh again.”

It was also difficult for Gunn: The scene just wasn't working with his original dialogue, "so I tore a whole page out (of the script) and changed it on the day. Which I don't do very often because I'm a very prepared guy.”

Chris Pratt and James Gunn look back: ‘It's been a crazy 10 years’

Much has gone on in their lives in the past decade: Pratt and Gunn both remarried, Gunn lost his Marvel gig then got it back, and Pratt (whose son was 1 when he was filming the first “Guardians”) added two to his brood. The actor learned “wisdom of experience and maturity and the grace of falling on your face and getting back up. They say people don't change, but I feel like I have changed, I think for the better,” says Pratt. He adds that Gunn helped him “relax into myself a little bit and not have to work so hard and sometimes do less.”

As for the filmmaker, “it’s been a crazy 10 years,” Gunn says with a smile. "I've just come to the realization that I love making movies because it's creativity and it's play. The fact that I get paid for those things, that's gravy.”

James Gunn’s the boss, so that’s why he got the Boss

The director admits that the first “Guardians” was a “game changer” for Marvel and for superhero movies in general, putting heart and soul into the blockbuster spectacle. It also brought the movie soundtrack back in a big way, as he used pop and rock songs as key aspects of his narratives in all three movies. While Star-Lord dances to Redbone’s “Come and Get Your Love” in the opening scene of the 2014 film, Gunn chose Bruce Springsteen’s “Badlands” as the final tune to play over the “Vol. 3” credits.

“It's a beautiful song. And if you listen to the lyrics, I think it fits the Guardians very well,” Gunn says. “Plus I didn't want to have three whole movies without a single Bruce song. We need to have Bruce in there somewhere. So I'm kind of like, ‘How can I sneak him in at the end?’ I got The Replacements in there right before the credits. So it's pretty cool.”

Wanted: A Superman who’s kind of like Chris Pratt

Now that his “Guardians” trilogy has finished, Gunn next writes and directs “Superman: Legacy” (expected in 2025) as co-honcho of DC’s superhero universe. But working with Pratt, he’s learned that everything will go a lot smoother if the director and the lead star are good to people. So he’s looking for a Man of Steel “who I truly think is a good person and respectful,” Gunn says.

“Because of my relationship with Chris and knowing what to look for, knowing what matters, I never want to be stuck in a situation where No. 1 on the call sheet is somebody who's causing grief.”

Take a deeper dive into the Marvel Cinematic Universe:

'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' review: Chris Pratt's space misfits bow out gloriously

Who's playing Kang, Namor and more? Meet 5 new faces who loom large in Marvel's future

Kathryn Newton: Ant-Man 'Quantumania' star talks Paul Rudd and the role that 'changed my life'

How to watch: The best order for viewing all 31 Marvel movies (including 'Guardians of the Galaxy 3')

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Guardians of the Galaxy 3': Chris Pratt, James Gunn talk trilogy end