James Gunn took a stand on social media against fans calling for Chris Pratt to be replaced as Star Lord in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Pratt made his debut as the character in Gunn’s “Guardians of the Galaxy.” The director worked with the actor again for “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” and is directing him in the upcoming third “Guardians” movie and a “Guardians” Christmas special. Pratt has come under fire over the years due to his involvement with the Hillsong Church, which many celebrities have condemned for being anti-LGBTQ.
After one Twitter user called for Pratt to be replaced in the MCU with “Aquaman” and “The Conjuring” actor Patrick Wilson, Gunn responded, “For what? Because of your made-up, utterly-false beliefs about him? For something that someone else told you about him that’s not true? Chris Pratt would never be replaced as Star-Lord but, if he ever was, we would all be going with him.”
“I know the church he currently goes to. Do you?” Gunn wrote to another user. “The answer is you don’t, but you heard from someone who heard from someone who heard from someone where he goes to church, so decided, ‘Yeah, okay, I’ll believe this terrible thing I heard online about this celebrity!’”
Elliot Page called out Pratt’s ties to Hillsong several years ago (via Uproxx) by writing on social media, “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. Full stop.”
Pratt said at the time that “nothing could be further from the truth” regarding the anti-LGBTQ claims against Hillsong and added, “I go to a church that opens its doors to absolutely everyone… everyone is entitled to love who they want free from the judgment of their fellow man.”
Pratt is returning to the MCU this summer with the release of Taika Waititi’s “Thor: Love and Thunder,” which opens in theaters July 8. Gunn’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is on the release calendar for May 5, 2023.
For what? Because of your made-up, utterly-false beliefs about him? For something that someone else told you about him that’s not true? Chris Pratt would never be replaced as Star-Lord but, if he ever was, we would all be going with him.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) April 25, 2022
He isn’t. I know the church he currently goes to. Do you? (The answer is you don’t, but you heard from someone who heard from someone who heard from someone where he goes to church, so decided, “yeah, okay, I’ll believe this terrible thing I heard online about this celebrity!”)
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) April 25, 2022