Years after 2018's Avengers: Infinity War reshaped the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Chris Pratt is still fielding questions about the moment that changed Star-Lord’s reputation forever.
Pratt has portrayed Peter Quill since Guardians of the Galaxy arrived in theaters in 2014, helping introduce a scrappier, music-loving corner of the MCU. Over time, the character evolved from a rogue space outlaw into a key player in some of Marvel’s biggest crossover events. Pratt reprised the role across the Guardians trilogy, joined the Avengers in Infinity War and 2018's Avengers: Endgame, and later made a smaller appearance in Thor: Love and Thunder (2022).
The last time audiences saw Star-Lord was during the closing moments of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023). The film confirmed that Quill would return in the future, even as he left the Guardians behind to rediscover life on Earth. For a period, rumors linked Pratt to Marvel’s in-development Nova TV series, though that project has yet to materialize as Marvel Studios reassesses its television and film output.
Despite the character’s long history, one scene continues to dominate conversations: Star-Lord’s emotional reaction on Titan in Avengers: Infinity War. When Quill attacked Thanos (Josh Brolin) after learning Gamora (Zoe Saldaña) had been killed, the resulting chaos allowed the villain to escape and ultimately wipe out half of all life in the universe.
The backlash that followed was intense. Even though Pratt’s screen time in Infinity War and Endgame was limited compared to other heroes, many fans fixated on Star-Lord as the reason the Avengers failed. That frustration frequently spilled over onto Pratt himself, blurring the distinction between actor and character in public perception.
Pratt has spoken candidly about how often fans confronted him about the scene, sometimes in casual, everyday encounters. While he understands why the moment resonated so strongly, he’s also been quick to point out that the story depended on Quill’s mistake to move forward.
“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.
In retrospect, Infinity War has become a defining chapter in Pratt’s Marvel career. Star-Lord’s decision continues to divide audiences, but it also added complexity to a character driven by emotion rather than strategy. For some fans, that flaw made Quill feel more human, even if it came at a devastating cost.
Although Marvel Studios has confirmed that Star-Lord will return, Pratt has been notably absent from early casting news for Avengers: Doomsday (2026). That silence has led to theories that Marvel may be saving the character for a later reveal, possibly tied to Avengers: Secret Wars (2027) or an entirely separate project.
With Marvel entering a new chapter, Star-Lord’s next move remains one of the franchise’s lingering questions, balancing his cosmic past with an uncertain future.
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