Ahead of 'Guardians of the Galaxy 3' Premiere, Chris Pratt Already Wants to Reprise His MCU Role - Inside the Magic

After nearly a decade together on-screen, the ragtag team of antiheroes fans has come to know and love are reuniting for one final ride in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023). But even though this movie might be the Guardians’ last, its star, Chris Pratt, hinted that it might not be a wrap for all of its members.

Directed by James Gunn, the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy installation sees nearly its entire cast reprising their roles, in addition to some newcomers. In the film, Pratt plays Peter Quill (AKA Star-Lord), an egotistical but generally well-intended leader grieving the loss of his girlfriend, Gamora (Zoe Saldana), following the events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018). Filling out the team are Drax (Dave Bautista), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), Groot (Vin Diesel), and Mantis (Pom Klementieff), among others. While plot details remain scarce, it’s been confirmed that the Guardians will have to rally their troops to go face-to-face with a new threat: the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji). Check out the trailer below:

"Are you ready for one last ride?"
The brand-new trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, only in theaters May 5. #GotGVol3 @MarvelStudios pic.twitter.com/EC2HOxTIkb

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) February 12, 2023

As with many MCU characters who have played a part in the franchise since its early phases, it’s nearing the end of the road for Gunn’s iteration of the Guardians. During a panel at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel dropped the first trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, to the delight of fans. However, Gunn explained shortly after that the third installment is the definitive “end” to his Guardians story. He made sure to clarify that even though it’s the final movie, “it doesn’t mean everybody dies.”

And in a new interview with Rolling Stone, Pratt implied that he’s already willing to reprise his Guardians role in the future. While promoting the upcoming film, the actor gave a convoluted answer to the question of whether or not he’d return to the MCU to play Peter Quill/Star-Lord again:

There’s ways for people to come back from the dead. That being said, by saying that I don’t feel like I’m done, it shouldn’t go into spoiler territory. I don’t want that to be like, ‘Oh, well, Chris Pratt says that Peter Quill doesn’t die.’ That’s not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is, even if I do die in this, there’s a way to bring me back. So If you’re talking about, like, practically, can Peter Quill come back? The answer will always be yes. Now if you’re saying to me, Chris Pratt the actor, do I want to reprise my role as Peter Quill and is there mileage left in the character and do I have the bandwidth or headspace for that? I do. I’d be interested in playing the character again.

Pratt’s remarks imply that, perhaps, not all hope is lost for fans looking to see more of Peter Quill/Star-Lord. While it’s unlikely that this version of the Guardians crew will reunite for another team-up anytime soon, Pratt’s character could potentially have a cameo in an upcoming Disney+ show or movie—as long as Peter Quill/Star-Lord’s fate isn’t sealed by the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

An easy project Pratt could sign onto is Season 2 of Marvel’s What If…?. He didn’t lend his voice to the animated series’ first season, but with more episodes on the horizon, this would be an obvious answer to how Peter Quill could reappear in the MCU. Of course, with the continued exploration of the Multiverse, there’s also a good chance we could see Variants of the Guardians crew beyond Phase 5.

Pratt’s vague comments don’t provide much perspective on the future of his Guardians character. Still, nonetheless, it’s certainly positive news to hear that he’s interested in returning to the MCU in some capacity. For now, fans can look forward to seeing Peter Quill/Star-Lord and the rest of the crew back in action when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters on May 5, 2023.

Would you like to see Chris Pratt return to the MCU post-Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3? Let us know in the comments below.