When Chris Pratt joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe for James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy, the role of Star-Lord helped catapult him into superstardom. After charming audiences with his MCU antics, Universal tapped Pratt to star as Owen Grady for its Jurassic World franchise. For the next several years, Pratt’s star continued to shine with roles in The Magnificent Seven and the divisive sci-fi romance Passengers. Then came Avengers: Infinity War, the first in a two-part cinematic event that triggered a downward trajectory for Pratt’s Star-Lord. In the film, Star-Lord loses control of his emotions and, in a moment of weakness, allows the villain Thanos to escape what many believe would have been the end of his cruel reign. In other words, the Avengers had a victory in the bag, and Star-Lord f**ed it up, big time. Now, Pratt is opening up about the backlash from Star-Lord’s mistake, saying the blowback was more than most would expect.
Pratt on the Star-Lord fallout
During an interview on Out of Order, Pratt explained how Star-Lord’s actions soured audiences on his once-beloved character, saying, “It’s a mega scene. I look at it differently now than I did going into it. This was very much a supporting part. Between Infinity War and Endgame, I think I worked maybe twenty days total. I was there to support the Avengers cast. I love the Russos—they’re great at letting us collaborate, contribute to the writing, and shape the characters.”
“This was also the first time I played the character without James Gunn directing me. That was noticeable, especially given James’s relationship to Peter Quill. But this wasn’t a Guardians movie—it was an Avengers movie. What’s wild about this scene is how much people eviscerated Quill for that moment of human weakness. People genuinely hated the character for a while.”
“On the street, they’d come up to me like, ‘Why’d you do it, man?’ I’m like, ‘I didn’t do anything!’ Also, if Quill hadn’t done that, the two movies would’ve been thirty minutes long. ‘We got him.’ Roll credits,” Pratt continued. “That’s not a movie. Looking back, I feel the weight of what that moment did to the character. I’m still glad it happened, but I didn’t realise at the time it would become iconic.”
Harassment is never the answer
Pratt’s not wrong. I know a handful of people who are still angry with Star-Lord for setting the Avengers back in Infinity War. They don’t blame Pratt for the way the writers chose to use Star-Lord to reset the chessboard for Thanos, but the selfishness of his character’s actions still stings. I’ve made my peace with that moment in particular. My qualms with Star-Lord stem from other moments and flaws throughout his MCU history, but I certainly don’t hold Pratt accountable for them. He’s an actor, doing a job. Sometimes, characters we enjoy screw up. No one is perfect, even if people want their heroes to be infallible. Anyone who’s harassing Pratt on the street for Star-Lord’s actions in Infinity War needs to have their head examined. At least that’s the way I see it.
At the very least, Star-Lord somewhat redeems himself in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, even if he’s still got a lot to learn about love and individuality. While Star-Lord’s MCU future remains uncertain, debates about Star-Lord’s contributions to Infinity War continue. Be careful where you point your anger, folks, and how you waste your energy.
