'Guardians' Director Slams 'Utterly False Beliefs' About Chris Pratt: He Will 'Never' Be Replaced

James Gunn Gunn responded to a fan on Twitter who suggested Marvel "replace" Chris Pratt in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

James Gunn and Chris Pratt. Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty

Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn is defending Chris Pratt against "false beliefs" about the movie star, assuring that Pratt will "never" be replaced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Gunn, 55, responded Monday to a fan on Twitter who suggested Marvel "replace" Pratt, 42, who plays Star-Lord in the MCU, with an actor like Patrick Wilson.

"For what? Because of your made-up, utterly-false beliefs about him? For something that someone else told you about him that's not true? Chris Pratt would never be replaced as Star-Lord but, if he ever was, we would all be going with him," Gunn, who is currently directing his third Guardians movie with Pratt, wrote.

Pratt — who next appears as Star-Lord in July's Thor: Love and Thunder and leads a third Jurassic World movie in June — faced criticism back in 2019 when he was called out for attending Hillsong Church, which some argued was anti-LGBTQ+. At the time, he responded by saying that "nothing could be further from the truth."

He added that his "faith is important to me but no church defines me or my life, and I am not a spokesman for any church or any group of people. ... My values define who I am. We need less hate in this world, not more. I am a man who believes that everyone is entitled to love who they want free from the judgment of their fellow man."

Rich Fury/WireImage. Rich Fury/WireImage

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Addressing past criticism of Pratt's religious beliefs, Gunn tweeted Monday, "I know the church he currently goes to. Do you? (The answer is you don't, but you heard from someone who heard from someone who heard from someone where he goes to church, so decided, 'yeah, okay, I'll believe this terrible thing I heard online about this celebrity!')"

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Gunn was reinstated to direct Guardians 3 back in 2019 after Disney fired him in 2018 when years-old insensitive tweets were resurfaced by conservative personalities, including jokes about rape and pedophilia.

When he was invited back, Gunn wrote in a statement, "I am tremendously grateful to every person out there who has supported me over the past few months. I am always learning and will continue to work at being the best human being I can be. I deeply appreciate Disney's decision and I am excited to continue making films that investigate the ties of love that bid us all. I have been, and continue to be incredibly humbled by your love and support. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Love to you all."

Back in 2020, when an internet challenge named Pratt the "worst Hollywood Chris," his wife Katherine Schwarzenegger, costars Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo, and more defended him on social media.