James Gunn Has A Blistering Response To Fan Calls To Recast Star-Lord

If his wild card debut to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and revitalizing input to the floundering DC Extended Universe taught us anything, it's that director James Gunn isn't afraid to stir the pot a little when he needs to, which includes chiming in on social media. Whether it be squashing supposed scoops that turn out to be nonsense or chatting with fans, Gunn is never afraid to set the record straight, and he looks to have done just that with a Marvel fan's recent bit of input that didn't go down too well once the director caught wind of it.

It all started when @themeghanlodon_ tweeted pictures of "Guardians of the Galaxy" star Chris Pratt beside the man behind "Aquaman" antagonist King Orm, Patrick Wilson. The tweet simply said, "Marvel. Hear me out. Just... replace him," suggesting that the studio swap Pratt for Wilson in future films. The recasting is clearly a response to Pratt's widely publicized membership to the Hillsong Church, which is reportedly anti-LGBTQ+, as highlighted by Elliot Page in 2019 (via Twitter). 

Pratt responded publicly by posting Instagram stories saying, "Nothing could be further from the truth ... 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" (via Vanity Fair). Regardless, however, Pratt has garnered ongoing criticism for his refusal to disavow Hillsong. It's here where, following this recent fan-casting, Gunn has stepped in to back his "Guardians of the Galaxy" star.

As of the time of publishing, the tweet has now earned over 194,000 likes, and James Gunn isn't one of them. Responding to the fan-casting, Gunn tweeted, "For what? Because of your made-up, utterly-false [sic] beliefs about him? For something that someone else told you about him that's not true?" asked the director. "Chris Pratt would never be replaced as Star-Lord but, if he ever was, we would all be going with him."

Regardless of the various opinions about Pratt, the chances of a recasting don't look likely, and there's not even any confirmation that we'll see the Guardians of the Galaxy after Gunn's final handling of "Vol. 3," which is set for release on May 5, 2023. Before that, though, he'll be comparing facial hair with Chris Hemsworth when they reunite in "Thor: Love and Thunder" on July 8.