Summary

• A prominent social media petition called for the recasting of Chris Pratt as Star-Lord in the MCU.
• Pratt's affiliation with Hillsong Church and past comments have contributed to the backlash against him.
• Despite the petition, it is unlikely that Marvel Studios will recast Pratt due to his confirmed return in an unnamed future project.

There's been 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 geared up to reprise his role after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, a social media petition arose asking Marvel Studios to get rid of him and recast the role of Peter Quill, which still poses difficult questions even after the movie's release.

Within Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's ending promise that The Legendary Star-Lord Will Return.

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, such as 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 him. Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo took to their respective social media s to vouch for the distressed actor.

Pratt worked closely with Downey during Avengers: Infinity War as Iron Man and Star-Lord, with some 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 discussed her perspective on matters, telling her co-star that everyone who knows him in real life knows how truly good he is. James 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 2022 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. ittedly, 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 a so-far untitled project. Unless something massive happens involving Pratt that forces Disney to consider letting him go - akin to the way the company cut ties with Jonathan Majors' after the results of his legal conviction - then it currently appears unlikely that Pratt will lose his role in the MCU.

In any case, for those who no longer want Pratt in the MCU, whispers of an MCU soft reboot would likely see the end of his tenure. So perhaps, the Avengers movie will also function as Pratt's swan song from the franchise, regardless of external reception to the actor.