Chris Pratt would make Guardians Of The Galaxy movies without James Gunn, probably
As long as they honored the original films, Chris Pratt would keep making Guardians Of The Galaxy movies without James Gunn
He played Mario. He’ll play Garfield. But now Chris Pratt is boldly going where he’s gone six times before: Star Lord Peter Quill. The latest Guardians Of The Galaxy movie, releasing later this week, marks at least one definitive ending (for now): James Gunn’s role in the franchise. After taking over leadership of Marvel Studios’ direct competition DC Studios, Gunn won’t be returning to this Galaxy any time soon. However, one person who probably will is Chris Pratt—though he admits it “would be strange” without James Gunn.
“He’s done such a masterful job in the first three films,” Pratt told GamesRadar+. “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?”
Of course, Pratt and the rest of The Guardians have performed these roles for other directors, including Taika Waititi, the Russo brothers, and whoever helmed the Disneyland ride Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission Breakout! Still, when working in the broader MCU, Pratt and fellow Guardian Pom Klementieff reportedly called Gunn for direction on the set of the Avengers movies. “I was being given directions, and I was like, ‘I think I’m going to call James,’ Klementieff told The Hollywood Reporter. (What’s particularly strange about this is that the Russos couldn’t replicate Gunn’s direction via A.I.) Still, Klementieff’s comments speak to a director’s limits on Marvel productions, where actors technically undermine their directors by calling another director for clarification—this might speak to the mixed reaction to Thor: Love & Thunder. But Pratt’s not opposed—he just doesn’t want to be “cynical in the approach.”
“Maybe down the road, if something makes sense, I would do it, but it would really have to check a lot of the right boxes,” Pratt said.
It’s hard to imagine Marvel not tapping a star like Pratt for future installments—they might have to. At the risk of upsetting the MCU faithful and despite churning out hit after hit since Endgame, the Studio has only successfully launched one new character: Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi. The rest of Phase Four has benefited chiefly from a leg-up from legacy characters and, in the case of No Way Home, legacy characters from other universes.
Though Pratt and Thor’s Chris Hemsworth have threatened to retire the cinematic universe thing, it doesn’t seem likely. When Marvel gets to its next team-up movie, it doesn’t seem likely they’ll leave the Chrises on the sidelines, with so few new stars to take their place. What are they going to do? Bring back fan-favorite Corey Stoll’s M.O.D.O.K.? Elevate the beseiged next-big-thing Jonathan Majors? Pray that the fanbase comes around on She-Hulk? Lean on Hawkeye? In this multiverse of madness, it doesn’t matter who’s dead or who quit. Everyone’s likely to come back at some point—no wonder Chris Evans is already plotting his return.