Chris Pratt Open To Being Star-Lord Without James Gunn

With this week's nationwide release of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 fans will say goodbye to not only James Gunn's tenure at the studio but also Dave Bautista and Zoe Saldaña as Drax and Gamora, respectively. The entire release of the movie has centered around saying goodbyes, but it might not be the last time for a certain cast member.

"It would be strange to continue [Star-Lord's] story without James," Pratt told Total Film. "He's done such a masterful job in the first three films. We really found the voice of Peter Quill together and without him, obviously, I would never have had this opportunity. He writes it, he directs it, he dreams up the music, it's his imagination on screen. So, to continue to tell the story, it would really be important to honor what he's done in the first three films and to honor what the fans have grown to love about the character and not simply do it because people might show up to pay for it, you know?"

Pratt's first outing as Star-Lord/Peter Quill was in 2014's first Guardians movie which was a surprise hit for the studio considering the characters weren't exactly well-known at the time. Now, you can find Star-Lord, Groot, and Rocket Raccoon merchandise next to Spider-Man and Iron Man. Pratt beat out several big-name actors like John Krasinski and Eddie Redmayne to land the role.

The third volume of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise will be the sixth time fans have seen Pratt as Star-Lord having made appearances in Avengers: Infinity War, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Avengers: Endgame in addition to the three Guardians movies.

"I don't want to be cynical in the approach and if that's the case, I just wouldn't do it at all," Pratt added. "So maybe down the road if something makes sense I would do it but it would really have to check a lot of the right boxes."

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters May 5 nationwide.