Those who have played MCU character roles have become synonymous with the characters they played, and that includes Chris Pratt, who plays Peter Quill, AKA Star-Lord in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. However, there have been people who have called for Marvel Studios to fire Pratt and have Star-Lord recast. So, why are there people who hate Chriss Pratt, and why do they want Star-Lord recast?
The reason why people hate Chris Pratt is that he supports a church that has been accused of being anti-gay. While he does support the church, he has since denied any allegations that the church he supports has been anti-gay. There is also no evidence that he himself supports anti-gay sentiments.
In a world that is becoming more diverse every single year, there are people who are easily offended when there are those who don’t believe in the same things they do. This is basically the case with Chris Pratt, who is accused of certain beliefs because of his religious alignment. That said, let’s look at what we know about Chris Pratt’s involvement with his church and whether or not Star-Lord will be recast.
Why Do People Hate Chris Pratt?
One of the things that Marvel Studios has done so well is keeping actors engaged in their roles for years because of the fact that the MCU movies are long-term commitments that have multiple movie installations. This is why Marvel Studios chooses the best actors that are going to be with them in the long haul. Of course, because of that very fact, these actors have become synonymous with the roles that they play.
The Guardians of the Galaxy movies, of course, have actors that were brought in for the long haul as well. And the leading name in the Guardians of the Galaxy is obviously Chris Pratt, who plays the role of Peter Quill or Star-Lord, who acts as the group’s de facto leader.
But while Chris Pratt has been synonymous with the role of Star-Lord, there have been people who have called for him to get fired and replaced. This happened when the trailer of Thor: Love and Thunder came out, and the Guardians of the Galaxy were seen in some scenes in the trailer. Pratt as Star-Lord had his own moment in that trailer.
After that, there were people who began calling for him to get replaced because of the very fact that they disliked him. In fact, there is a tweet with his photo side by side with Patrick Wilson’s own photo as the one who posted the tweet was suggesting that they look alike and that Marvel should just replace him.
So, why is it that there are some people who hate Chris Pratt and are calling for Marvel to replace him with a new actor?
There are a lot of reasons why there are fans who dislike Chris Pratt, just like how it is normal for any person to dislike another person. While we can go on about the fact that Pratt isn’t the most sensitive person out there and likes to joke and fool around (because he did start his career out in comedy movies and shows), the biggest reason why he is being called out from time to time is his religious inclination.
Actor Elliot Page once called Chris Pratt out for supporting a church that is anti-gay and is allegedly doing certain “treatments” that would “cure” homosexuality. Being a member of the LGBTQ himself, Elliot Page sees this issue quite close to his heart. And calling Pratt out was a wake-up call for people.
“If you are a famous actor and you belong to an organization that hates a certain group of people, don’t be surprised if someone simply wonders why it’s not addressed. Being anti-LGBTQ is wrong, there aren’t two sides. The damage it causes is severe,” Page said. “If LGBTQ+ people are expressing their pain, their trauma, their experiences… maybe just try and listen? Open your heart, stop being defensive and have compassion. It’s a beautiful and life changing feeling, empathy.”
Considering that we live in a more inclusive world now and that there are many people who are coming out as members of diverse groups in society, it is easy to see why being anti-gay is a cause of concern for plenty of people. And the fact that Pratt has been called out for allegedly supporting an anti-gay church has gotten people to buy into the hate surrounding the actor.
However, Chris Pratt, who goes to the Hillsong Church, has denied any rumors that he himself is anti-gay or that the specific church that he goes to is doing things that are anti-gay. In fact, he went on to say that this church has always been there to support him. In a statement, he said:
“I go to a church that opens their doors to absolutely everyone. Despite what the Bible says about divorce my church community was there for me every step of the way, never judging, just gracefully accompanying me on my walk. They helped me tremendously offering love and support. It is what I have seen them do for others on countless occasions regardless of sexual orientation, race, or gender.”
Will Star-Lord Be Recast?
But while it might be true that there are people who hate Chris Pratt, he has since denied any rumors of him being anti-gay or that his church itself is anti-gay. Still, what does that mean for his role as Star-Lord? Will Disney and Marvel recast Star-Lord?
Disney has never been shy of cutting ties with people who have beliefs that aren’t entirely aligned with what is popular or what is right. For instance, Gina Carano was removed from The Mandalorian for her radical beliefs. Of course, there are also instances where Disney essentially fired notable actors for controversial events happening in their personal lives. The most notable of them all is Johnny Depp, who was removed from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise despite helping Disney earn billions from his role as Captain Jack Sparrow.
But the good news is that neither Disney nor Marvel Studios is planning to replace Chris Pratt. In fact, James Gunn, who directs the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, reassured that Chris Pratt was going to stay with the franchise for the long haul.
The reason why there are no plans to remove Pratt stems from the fact that the claims regarding him being anti-gay have no evidence and substance whatsoever. Those are merely allegations that are not grounded on anything concrete, and that means that there is no reason why Marvel should let Chris Pratt go for reasons that have no substance whatsoever.
Of course, it is also silly to release an actor just because he has different beliefs that aren’t entirely aligned with what’s popular. As long as a person’s beliefs are not harmful, there is no reason to go against them. The cancel culture seems to be something that’s wrong with the world today because people are becoming too sensitive to the point that they want to essentially cancel big-name celebrities for having different beliefs that aren’t necessarily harmful.
In that regard, Marvel has done the right thing by not removing Chris Pratt just because there are unsubstantiated allegations regarding him. And it would be completely against the concept of diversity to fire him just because his religious beliefs are different.
