Gone are the days when Lee Pace was only known for his Pushing Daisies and The Fall. He's had a big year, between a scene-stealing role in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 2 and his upcoming turn as Thranduil in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. And now he's gearing up for the biggest role of his career.

Pace is reportedly on the shortlist of actors wanted for the part of Star-Lord in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, and he told MTV News he's been doing his homework for the audition.

"I have been [reading up on Star-Lord]," he said. "You want to know what you're doing. The character is a lot of fun. I hope it works out."

He isn't the only one up for the role, though he is the person we are most excited about (sorry, Pushing Daisies is just really great). His competition includes James Marsden and Joel Edgerton, but Pace doesn't seem too concerned.

"We'll see. We'll see," he said. "I've got to audition. I've got to go get it. I actually love auditioning, so I'm happy to go meet them all and do it."

Directed by James gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy is reportedly “about a U.S. pilot who ends up in space in the middle of a universal conflict and goes on the run with futuristic ex-cons who have something everyone wants.” Although the Guardians have boasted a large and changing roster over the past four decades, the concept art Marvel debuted at Comic-Con features Rocket Raccoon; Drax the Destroyer, the human resurrected in the body of an alien to combat Thanos; Groot, the extraterrestrial tree monster; Star-Lord, the interplanetary police officer; and Gamora, the most dangerous woman in the universe.

Part of Marvel’s second wave of films, Guardians of the Galaxy is set to open Aug. 1, 2014.