There’s a growing call on social media for Marvel Studios to recast Chris Pratt as Guardians of the Galaxy’s Peter Quill/Star-Lord. But why?

There’s a growing call for Chris Pratt to be recast as the MCU‘s Star-Lord and there are a couple of factors that lead to this petition. As part of the original Guardians of the Galaxy line-up, the actor has been playing Peter Quill/Star-Lord since 2014. But as Pratt gears up to reprise his role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, a social media petition has been gaining traction that asks Marvel Studios to get rid of him and recast the role of Peter Quill.

Pratt debuted Star-Lord in 2014 via James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Before scoring his big Marvel Studios gig, however, Pratt was best known as the lovable Andy in the hit sitcom Parks and Recreation. Because of the MCU’s popularity, his role as a member of the franchise’s premier cosmic team catapulted him into mainstream popularity and allowed him to establish himself as one of the big movie stars of his generation. After joining the MCU, Pratt has also starred in several other big blockbusters, most notably spearheading the Jurassic World series.

Within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Chris Pratt has appeared three more times since his introduction in the original Guardians of the Galaxy film. He returned with his rag-tag of cosmic heroes in 2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War, and 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. After the Infinity Saga, he has a couple of more confirmed appearances starting with 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder and 2023’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. But, if supporters of the recasting push get their way, Chris Pratt might be removed from the MCU before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3.

The Backlash To Chris Pratt’s Church Explained

As his career took off, Pratt was embroiled in a couple of personal controversies, including drawing flak for his affiliation with Hillsong Church — a high-profile church that is known for its celebrity patrons that include Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Justin and Hailey Bieber, and Selena Gomez. In February 2019, the actor openly talked about taking part in a 21-day fast referenced in the biblical Book of Daniel during a guest appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He also quoted his pastor saying “If the spotlight that’s shining on you is brighter than the one within you, it’ll kill you.”  In response to this, Elliot Page asked Pratt to comment on the institution’s controversy involving two Hillsong Church executives making homophobic comments and dubbing homosexuality a sin in 2015. Pratt claimed that Hillsong Church was not anti-LGBTQ+, stating that the church “opens their doors to absolutely everyone.” He also distanced himself from Hillsong Church stating that his faith was important to him but saying that his church doesn’t define him or his life.

How The Backlash To Chris Pratt Has Grown

Beyond his affiliations with Hillsong Church, Pratt has also made several comments in the past that garnered criticism. In November 2021, he posted a birthday greeting for his wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger which includes thanking her for giving him a “healthy daughter.” The post, in general, was deemed cringe-worthy, but the specific bit about their firstborn stood out as some perceived it as a subtle slight on Pratt’s ex-wife, Anna Faris. The former couple shares a son who was in intensive care for a period after being born prematurely.

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 Marvel Actors & Directors Have Said About Chris Pratt

At the height of the backlash regarding Pratt’s affiliations with Hillsong Church, several of his MCU co-actors came out to publicly support him. Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo took to their respective social media accounts to vouch for the distressed actor. Pratt worked closely with Downey during Avengers: Infinity War as Iron Man and Star-Lord, with some members of the Guardians of the Galaxy, teamed up during the initial fight against Thanos (Josh Brolin). The actor didn’t have any interactions with the Hulk actor on-screen, but chances are that Pratt and Ruffalo got to know each other pretty well during press events, not to mention the 10th-anniversary photoshoot for Marvel Studios.

Meanwhile, Pratt’s Guardians of the Galaxy co-star Zoe Saldana, who plays Star-Lord’s on-screen romantic interest, Gamora, also took to social media to back him up. In her post, she reminded her co-star that everyone who knows him in real life knows how truly good he is. Gunn, echoed the same sentiment, particularly asking the public to “please stop assuming what he believes, politically or in any other way, because he’s a Christian.” A year and a half after his first comment, Gunn once again defended Pratt against those who are calling for Marvel Studios to recast him. In a recent tweet, the filmmaker was more stern in his stance asking about the real reason for this online campaign. Finally, he put the controversy to rest by saying that they are not replacing Pratt as Star-Lord, because if  Marvel Studios does, then everyone else in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will go with him.

Will Marvel Recast Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord?

So, what is the possibility that Marvel Studios actually considers this social media campaign’s request and recast Pratt? The chances are slim to none. Admittedly, fan campaigns have succeeded before as evidenced by the release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League and Disney’s rehiring of Gunn for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 after he was initially fired. Similarly, Disney canceled their plans for a Rangers of the New Republic spinoff from The Mandalorian and announced that Gina Carano would not be returning as Cara Dune after public backlash against her views. Ultimately, Marvel Studios doesn’t have the time to dwell on the matter because Star-Lord is already confirmed to appear in upcoming projects.

Unless something massive happens involving Pratt that forces Disney, then perhaps they might consider it. But even then, they are unlikely to rush into judgment about these things, especially after what happened to Gunn. In any case, for those who no longer want Pratt in the MCU, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is confirmed to feature a big death or two; it will also end the run of the original cosmic team as Gunn wraps up the Guardians of the Galaxy sub-franchise. So perhaps, the threequel will also functions as Pratt’s swan song from the franchise. But his departure also means that the MCU will no longer have the original iteration of Star-Lord moving forward.

Source: screenrant.com