Chris Pratt Has a Hilariously on Brand Theory About What Star-Lord’s Been Doing Since Returning to Earth
When Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 wrapped up its emotional run in the MCU, it gave fans something they hadn’t seen before: real closure. The galaxy-saving misfits were left in good hands, James Gunn stepped away to take over DC Studios, and Peter Quill finally went home.
Now, Chris Pratt has shared an amusing idea of what Star-Lord’s life on Earth looks like after all that cosmic chaos.
Gunn ended Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 by sending Quill back to Missouri, reuniting him with his grandfather for the first time since the Ravagers abducted him decades earlier.
It was a quiet, grounded ending for a character who spent most of his life dodging space wars and alien gods. Marvel Studios also made sure to tease the future with the promise that “The Legendary Star-Lord Will Return,” even though nothing has been officially announced yet.
There’s been plenty of speculation. Rumors and leaked concept art have tied Quill to upcoming MCU projects like VisionQuest, Avengers: Doomsday, and Avengers: Secret Wars, but Marvel hasn’t confirmed anything. Until that happens, fans are left wondering what exactly Star-Lord’s been doing since coming back to Earth.
While speaking with Dexerto, Pratt was asked which of his iconic characters he’d most like to return as, and his answer made it clear that Peter Quill is still very much on his mind.
“We made a promise with Guardians of the Galaxy that Star-Lord would return – I think I’d really like to make good on that promise.”
When asked what he thinks Quill has been up to since we last saw him, the actor offered a take that feels accurate for the character.
“[I think he's] probably denying the fact that he was responsible for the death of Iron Man, while simultaneously trying to convince people that he was a superhero at some point. Probably catching up on the music. From '70s pop all the way until he came back, there’s a lot of music to catch up on.”
That Iron Man comment hits right at the center of one of the MCU’s longest-running fan debates. Some fans have pinned the Snap and Tony Stark’s death on Quill losing his cool when he found out Thanos killed Gamora. His reaction broke the Avengers’ plan and changed everything that followed.
It’s an easy moment to point at, but blaming Quill for everything that came after still feels like a stretch. Emotions ran high, the stakes were impossible, and plenty of heroes made choices that day. Star-Lord just happened to make his mistake in the worst possible moment.
Beyond Star-Lord, Pratt also opened up about another Marvel character he’s always wanted to play. Despite ongoing talk about him reuniting with Gunn in the DCU, there’s a very specific antihero that’s been on his wishlist since childhood.
“He was my favourite comic book hero growing up so I’ve always loved Punisher. I get to kind of play a version of The Punisher with James Reece in The Terminal List, but yeah, The Punisher. He was so good.”
Pratt even floated the idea of playing Punisher 2099, which would sidestep the current MCU version of Frank Castle played by Jon Bernthal. While that seems far from happening, it’s still fun to imagine.
For now, Star-Lord’s future remains a mystery, but it’s hard to believe Marvel Studios brought him back to Earth without a bigger plan in place. Peter Quill’s story clearly isn’t over yet.