There’s a rising desire for Chris Pratt to be recast as Star-Lord in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and there are also certain reasons for this. Since 2014, the Hollywood star has portrayed Peter Quill a.k.a Star Lord, the leader of the initial Guardians of the Galaxy. However, as Pratt prepares to repeat his part in the third instalment of the movie, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, people have called for a social media petition, requiring Marvel to fire him and recast the part (of Star Lord.)
Pratt made his Star-Lord debut in James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014. Previously, he was best recognized for his role as Andy in the comedy sitcom Parks and Recreation before landing his major MCU role. His portrayal as the leader of one of Marvel’s finest cosmic teams rocketed him into mainstream prominence and let him build his reputation as one of the famous Hollywood stars of his time, partly thanks to the popularity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After becoming involved in the MCU, Pratt continued to feature in a number of other large film, particularly the Jurassic World franchise.
Ever since his debut in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, Chris Pratt has made 3 additional appearances in the MCU, coming back with his cosmic hero crew in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Avengers: Infiniy War (2018), Avengers: End Game (2019). Following the end of the Infinity Saga, Pratt has already had two further verified presences in the MCU, namely Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023). However, should proponents of the recasting movement manage to get their way, Pratt might be dismissed from the MCU prior to the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
The Criticisms To Chris Pratt’s Church Clarified
Pratt was entangled in a few individual disputes alongside the development of his career, namely receiving backlash for his involvement with Hillsong Church, a high-profile churce famous for celebrity patrons, for example Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Justin and Hailey Bieber, and Selena Gomez. In a guest appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the actor publicly discussed his involvement in a 21-day fast based on the biblical Book of Daniel.
“If the spotlight that’s shining on you is brighter than the one within you, it’ll kill you,” said Pratt, quoting his pastor’s words. Elliot Page replied to this by asking Pratt to speak on the Hillsong Church scandal in 2015, when 2 church executives made homophobic comments and calling homosexuality a sin in 2015. However, according to Pratt, Hillsong Church isn’t an anti-LGBTQ+ institution, remarking that the church “opens their doors to absolutely everyone.” Furthermore, he separated himself from the Church, claiming that while his faith matters much to him, it doesn’t define him or his life.
How Chris Pratt’s Criticisms Has Become Much More Severe
Apart from his ties to Hillsong Church, the Hollywood star has made a number of controversial remarks back in time. In late 2021, he uploaded a birthday greeting for Katherine Schwarzenegger, his spouse, expressing his gratitude for birthing him a “healthy daughter.” Generally, the post was regarded as cringe-worthy, but the part about their firstborn was noticed because some saw it as a subtle slight on the actor’s ex-wife, Anna Faris. Faris and Pratt has a preterm baby, who later required intensive care.
Pratt also made a couple of further social media posts that received criticism from general audience, consisting of offensive comments, for example when he jokingly requested his supporters to vote for his movie, Onward, during a crucial election year. He was also chastised for romanticizing hunting, such as likening the murdering of a lamb to “unplugging a TV.”
There were also a few more social media posts from the actor that drew backlash from the public. That includes bad-taste jokes including one where he kiddingly asked the public to vote for his film, Onward, during a pivotal election year. He was also criticized for glamorizing hunting, morbidly comparing killing a lamb to “unplugging a TV.”
What Chris Pratt’s Marvel Co-Stars and Directors Have Shared
A number of Pratt’s co-stars emerged to openly back him up during the peak of the criticisms he’s caught upon his link with Hillsong Church. Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo both used their social media accounts to guarantee the beleaguered actor, expressing their support towards him. During the filming of Avengers: Infinity War, Pratt, as Star-Lord, cooperated with Downey as Iron Man, alongside some members of the Guardians of the Galaxy, to combat against Thanos. Star-Lord didn’t have any on-screen encounters with Hulk, portrayed by Mark Ruffalo, but it’s likely that they understand each other well in press events, not to mention the Marvel Studios 10th anniversary photoshoot.
At the same time, Pratt’s co-star Zoe Saldana, who portrays Star Lord’s on-screen love interest – Gamora – as well as crew member of the Guardians of the Galaxy squad, also resorted to social media to defend him. She wrote in her article that all who know Pratt in real life will understands how truthfully good the actor is. James Gunn, the movie director, also expressed the identical feeling, asking people to “please stop assuming what he believes, politically or in any other way, because he’s a Christian.
Gunn protected Pratt against the people clamoring for Marvel to replace him one more time, a year and a half after his initial remarks on his colleague. The director, in his latest tweet, even took a firmer position, questioning the true motivation behind this online effort. Ultimately, he concluded the dispute by stating that Pratt isn’t being removed from his role, as if Marvel does, all the cast in the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will go with him.
Will Marvel Replace Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord?
So, what are the chances that Marvel would truly take this social media campaign’s appeal seriously and fire Pratt? The probabilities are slim to none. In fact, fan campaigns have already pulled off to some extent previously, as proven by the launch of Zack Snyder’s Justice League and Disney’s reemploying of James Gunn for GotG Vol. 3, following his previous dismissal. Likewise, amid public reaction over Gina Carano’s opinions, Disney called off their plans for a Rangers of the New Republic spinoff from The Mandalorian, announcing that the actress won’t be reprising her role as Cara Dune. Finally, Marvel doesn’t have the time to ponder the issue as Star-Lord has already been confirmed to feature in subsequent movies.
Unless something major happens concerning Pratt that pushes Disney to consider it, it’s possible they won’t bat an eye. Even though, following the events occurred to Gunn, they are reluctant to rush to conclusions regarding these matters. Anyway, for the people who detest Pratt’s appearance in the MCU, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to have a major death or two, as well as marking the final appearance of the original cosmic squad as Gunn winds up the Guardians of the Galaxy sub-franchise. As a result, the threequel could serve as Pratt’s farewell to the franchise. However, his departure implies that the MCU would cease to feature the original Star-Lord in the future.
