Chris Pratt Defends Star Lord’s ‘Infinity War’ Decision Against Angry Fans: ‘He Reacted in a Way That’s Human’
Zack Sharf
[Editor’s Note: This article includes spoilers for “Avengers: Infinity War.”]
The only thing that angered Marvel fans more than the deaths of many of their favorite characters in “Avengers: Infinity Wars” was the controversial decision made by Star Lord that led directly to Thanos‘ victory. The scene in question finds Doctor Strange, Iron Man, Spider-Man, and the Guardians of the Galaxy using their powers to keep Thanos unconscious and remove the Infinity Gauntlet from his hand. When Star Lord realizes Thanos has killed Gamora, he starts to beat Thanos up in a rage. Star Lord’s decision allows Thanos to regain consciousness and, ultimately, wipe out half the universe’s population.
“People seem to be upset with Star-Lord,” Chris Pratt told RadioTimes with a laugh. The actor was acknowledging the extreme fan backlash to Star Lord’s decision. Marvel fans reacted in fury to the character’s choice since it led to fan favorites like Spider-Man, Drax the Destroyer, and Doctor Strange being killed off (at least temporarily). Although Pratt understands the outrage, he is quick to defend Star Lord’s decision.
“Look – the guy watched his mother die, he watched as his father-figure died in his arms, he was forced to kill his own biological father,” Pratt said. “And now has suffered the loss of the love of his life. So I think he reacted in a way that’s very human, and I think the humanity of the Guardians of the Galaxy is what sets them apart from other superheroes. I think if we did it a hundred times I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Getting a little more jokey about the backlash, Pratt replied, “And also, I blame Thanos, OK? Jeez, how come he’s not getting any blame? Clearly I’m very sensitive about this.”
The outrage against Star Lord reached a fever pitch in late April and May as “Avengers: Infinity War” conquered the box office. The movie broke numerous records and has grossed over $629 million in the U.S. The film’s worldwide total is approaching the $2 billion mark, which would make it only the fourth film in history to reach that benchmark (unadjusted for inflation) after “Avatar,” “Titanic,” and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.”
You can listen to Pratt’s entire RadioTimes interview here. “Infinity War” is now playing in theaters nationwide.
