James Gunn speaks out about the internet’s Chris Pratt hate. Gunn and Pratt have previously worked together on Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, both directed by Gunn and starring Pratt as Peter Quill / Star Lord. The two will pair up again for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which is set for a 2023 release date. Pratt’s recent big blockbuster work also includes Jurassic World Dominion and the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder.
Despite his fame, Pratt has faced a great deal of backlash and criticism in recent years. Pratt is one of the four “Hollywood Chrises” alongside Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pine, and Chris Evans. Pratt is often memed as the “worst Chris” by people across the internet. Part of this meme stems from the suspicion that Pratt holds homophobic beliefs. Pratt gave an acceptance speech at the MTV Awards wherein he spoke passionately about God, leading to greater investigation about his religious views. In 2017, Pratt was reportedly seen attending services at Hillsong Church, an organization that promotes anti-LGBTQ+ views. Though Pratt has since denied his involvement with Hillsong, the reported connection undoubtedly left many fans suspicious as to his personal beliefs.
Gunn has spoken out to say that this widespread hatred of Pratt is infuriating and unfounded, in a recent statement to Men’s Health. In Gunn’s perception, Pratt is “unspeakably kind” to the people around him, specifically towards children. He also is sure to mention that Pratt is a great father, and goes on to suggest that the assumptions made about Pratt’s political beliefs may be fabricated. Read the full statement from Gunn below:
“It absolutely infuriates me. Chris is unspeakably kind to people; he goes out of his way to help kids. He’s an especially loving father. And there’s a lot of stuff that people have literally just made up about him—about his politics, about who he is, about what he believes of other people, you know?”
This isn't the first time Gunn's publicly defended Pratt. Back in April, he offered a similarly passionate response to calls for Pratt to be recast in the MCU. Gunn doubling down on his earlier statements illustrates this is something he feels strongly about. In the past, Gunn's discussed doing "a-hole checks" on collaborators, so with that in mind, it's telling he's so vocal about defending his Guardians of the Galaxy star. Pratt's MCU co-stars have also defended him, highlighting their positive experiences. Pratt’s own statements regarding his religion, views, and potential Hillsong membership have been historically confusing, making the narrative surrounding Pratt seem unreliable. That being said, Gunn does seem genuine about his assertions about Pratt and certainly knows Pratt on a more personal level than most people on the internet.
In spite of the Worst Chris memes and Pratt hatred plastered all over the internet, Pratt’s films continue to succeed at the box office. The Pratt-led Jurassic World Dominion was a massive box office hit despite being slammed by critics. It will be interesting to see how the internet’s ire towards Pratt may shift or diminish in the coming year, as the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 release date nears. Perhaps one day Pratt won't be the most hated Chris in Hollywood.
Source: Men's Health
