Marvel Star Chris Pratt Weighs in on ‘Avengers’ Storyline After ‘Doomsday’ Casting Drops
Chris Pratt is once again reflecting on one of the most debated moments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Star-Lord’s fateful decision in Avengers: Infinity War (2018).
Since debuting as Peter Quill in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Pratt has been a steady presence across Marvel’s interconnected storytelling. From anchoring the Guardians trilogy to joining the Avengers on a cosmic scale, the actor’s take on the impulsive, emotionally driven hero helped shape the franchise’s lighter tone. His appearances also extended to ensemble projects like Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), as well as a brief supporting role in Thor: Love and Thunder (2022).
The character’s most recent on-screen moment came in James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023). The film closed with a title card confirming that Star-Lord would return, even as Quill stepped away from the Guardians to reconnect with Earth. At various points, speculation suggested Pratt could reappear in Marvel’s planned Nova TV series, though that project has yet to emerge amid Disney and Marvel Studios’ broader restructuring of their development slate.
Among Marvel fans, few scenes remain as fiercely debated as the confrontation on Titan in Avengers: Infinity War. In the sequence, Star-Lord learns of Gamora’s death and reacts emotionally, striking Thanos and inadvertently sabotaging the team’s attempt to remove the Infinity Gauntlet. The moment became a turning point in the story—and for Pratt, an unexpected flashpoint in public reaction.
Although his role in Infinity War and Endgame was relatively limited compared to other Avengers, Pratt found himself at the center of intense fan criticism. Many viewers held Star-Lord responsible for the Snap, and some directed that frustration toward the actor himself. Over time, Pratt has acknowledged that he was unprepared for how strongly audiences would respond, particularly given the scale of the ensemble cast.
According to Pratt, the response often followed him off-screen. Fans would approach him in everyday settings, questioning the character’s decision as if it were his own. While he’s since laughed about the narrative necessity of the moment, the reaction underscored how closely audiences connect actors to their roles in long-running franchises.
“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 told Out of Order while promoting his latest AI science-fiction thriller, Mercy (2026).
“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,” he added.
Nearly a decade later, Infinity War still casts a long shadow over Pratt’s Marvel tenure. Star-Lord’s decision remains a topic of debate, viewed by some as a frustrating misstep and by others as a defining act that deepened the character’s humanity. In hindsight, the consequences ultimately led to the Avengers’ eventual victory, though not without significant loss.
Marvel Studios has already confirmed that Star-Lord will return, but Pratt’s name has not appeared in early casting drops for Avengers: Doomsday (2026). That absence has fueled speculation about whether the character is being held back for a surprise appearance in a later project, including Avengers: Secret Wars (2027), a Phase Seven follow-up, or a standalone story.
As Marvel moves further into its next phase, Star-Lord’s future remains open-ended, positioned between cosmic adventures and a more grounded life on Earth.
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