Chris Pratt, an actor most known for playing Star-Lord/Peter Quill in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is one of the series’ most beloved characters due to his character’s subtle humor. James Gunn, who directed Guardians of the Galaxy and is currently co-president of DC Studios with Peter Safran, is a close friend of Chris Pratt.
As James Gunn’s final film for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the conclusion of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, Chris Pratt’s exit from the MCU has been the subject of industry rumors, especially given how well-known it is that the director and actor are close friends.
Chris Pratt addressed the Star Wars debate once and for all
During an interview with Wired alongside actress Jennifer Lawrence back in 2016 to promote their movie Passengers, Chris Pratt was asked during an autocomplete interview if he was ever in Star Wars, to which he said: “Thank god, no.” The actor’s reply made it same like he was relived that he was not a part of Star Wars franchise.
But Pratt, as Peter Quill, had finally addressed the most asked question, which is whether his character is a fan of Star Wars or is just in the same line of work. The official handle of Movies shared a video of the actor answering a fan question, which asked, “Is Peter Quill a Star Wars fan?” To which the actor said,
“Of course he would have been. His entire life is based on emulating his pop culture icons and, of course, he would have been a huge fan of Star Wars. And I think Han Solo in particular would have been a large influence on who he ends up being. So yes, there’s certainly a lot of Han Solo in the character of Star-Lord.”
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was released on May 4th, 2023 which is Star Wars Day and when James Gunn was asked about how he felt about releasing his movie on Star Wars Day, he said,
“11 years ago, I had a meeting with Marvel Studios about the possibility of making a Guardians of the Galaxy movie. I remember driving home & thinking I didn’t want to make a movie LIKE Star Wars, but a movie that made people FEEL like Star Wars made me feel like a kid.”
The director said that he is thankful to Star Wars for inspiring him.
Will Chris Pratt return to the MCU without James Gunn?
As it is known that Pratt and Gunn are very close friends and they share a great friendship, so when the third and final installment of Guardians of the Galaxy premiered, talks about Pratt also leaving the franchise started to buzz around and some speculated that he might join Star Wars, but in an interview with Total Film magazine via Variety, Pratt addressed he would continue to play Star-Lord as long as Marvel Studios honors what James Gunn started. He said,
“It would be strange to continue [Star Lord’s] story without James. He’s done such a masterful job in the first three films. We really found the voice of Peter Quill together and without him, obviously, I would never have had this opportunity. He writes it, he directs it, he dreams up the music, it’s his imagination on screen. So, to continue to tell the story, it would really be important to honor what he’s done in the first three films and to honor what the fans have grown to love about the character and not simply do it because people might show up to pay for it, you know?”
Pratt added that he doesn’t want to be cynical in the approach and if that is the case, then he just wouldn’t want to reprise the character, adding that maybe down the road if something makes sense, he would do it but would really have to check a lot of the right boxes.
Dave Bautista praises co-star Chris Pratt
Actor Dave Bautista, who played Drax in the MCU, during an interview said that Pratt’s portrayal of Star Lord has helped him to become a household name, adding that it’s because the actor brings in the highest of energies to the set. Bautista, who said a big goodbye to the franchise, said during Marvel Studios: Assembled – The Making of guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. via ComicBook,
“It’s hard for me to describe how it is working with him because I think our characters, acting styles, and personalities are complete yin and yang. It just feels so easy. I don’t know if there’s another performer that I enjoy just bouncing off of more than Chris Pratt because we just work together. I’m just a perfect straight man with high energy.”
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now streaming on Disney+.
Source: YouTube
Frequently asked questions
Is Chris Pratt actually leaving the MCU to join Star Wars?
No. The idea that Chris Pratt plans to quit the MCU for a Star Wars project is fan speculation tied to James Gunn moving to DC, not anything confirmed by Pratt, Marvel, or Lucasfilm. In his own comments Pratt has framed Star-Lord’s future around honoring Gunn’s work rather than exiting Marvel, so treat any ‘Pratt to Star Wars’ headlines as unverified. (Notably, in a 2016 Wired interview Pratt joked ‘Thank god, no’ when asked if he’d ever been in Star Wars.)
Why did James Gunn leave Marvel, and where is he now?
James Gunn directed Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, with Vol. 3 (released May 4, 2023, on Star Wars Day) as his final MCU film, and he has since moved to DC, where he is co-CEO of DC Studios alongside Peter Safran. Because Gunn wrote, directed, and shaped Star-Lord across the Guardians films, his departure is what sparked questions about the character’s future and whether Pratt would stay.
What has Chris Pratt said about continuing as Star-Lord without James Gunn?
Pratt told Total Film (via Variety) that it ‘would be strange to continue [Star-Lord’s] story without James,’ since Gunn writes, directs, and even dreams up the music. He said he would only return if Marvel honors what Gunn built and what fans love about the character, rather than doing it cynically for money. No specific future Star-Lord project, casting, or release date has been officially announced.
