Chris Pratt Is Open to a Star-Lord Reunion After James Gunn’s DC Studios Exit
James Gunn made the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ team household names for Marvel before moving over to DC, where he was handed responsibility for Batman, Superman and the wider DC Universe. He and producing partner Peter Safran were tapped to run DC Studios in 2022. For a filmmaker who once straddled both superhero giants, the shift felt like a clean break from the cosmic misfits who launched his blockbuster career.
That break seemed permanent. ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ wrapped the trilogy with roughly $845 million worldwide against a $250 million production budget. Gunn was blunt about the future, telling Esquire Middle East that he didn’t think a ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 4’ would ever happen, and that this particular group wouldn’t return.
Then came a shock that rattled Hollywood. On Nov. 9, it was announced that Gunn and Safran would leave their posts as co-CEOs and chairmen of DC Studios after 4 years. Skydance named former Marvel executive Jeremy Latcham, once a right-hand man to Kevin Feige, as president and chief creative officer. The handover is set for Dec. 1.
That timing has fans asking an obvious question: Could Gunn find his way back to his old team? Pratt, the original Star-Lord, was asked about it, and Marvel Updates shared his reaction on X. He said, “I haven’t had the chance to speak with him since that news came out… All I’ll say is I love James… So if he wanted to come back and bring it back, I would love that.”
The comments came during an interview with MovieZine, where Pratt was promoting his new film ‘Way of the Warrior Kid,’ which premieres on Apple TV on Nov. 25. He was careful not to promise anything concrete, noting that any offhand remark can quickly turn into a headline. He also pointed out how unusual it is for a single director to helm all 3 films in a trilogy.
Pratt’s loyalty to Gunn is nothing new. He was among the cast members who signed an open letter backing Gunn’s reinstatement as director of the ‘Guardians’ films, expressing love, support and gratitude for the filmmaker. That letter followed Gunn’s firing in July 2018, which left Pratt and the rest of the cast in despair.
Gunn isn’t disappearing, either. He has said he is “incredibly relieved” to return to pure filmmaking, and that he isn’t immediately done with DC. He also confirmed he is writing one more secret DC movie featuring characters the duo set up to outlast their tenure. Gunn and Safran will remain with the studio as producers on ‘The Batman: Part II.’
For now, Pratt’s remarks are an open door rather than an announcement. The third film was marketed as the end of this version of the team’s story, and nothing suggests a fourth film is in the works. Still, with Gunn heading back to creative work full time and his former leading man openly cheering for a reunion, the speculation is unlikely to fade soon.
