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Credit: Marvel Studios (left), Illumination Studios (right)Actor Chris Pratt has reportedly signed on to return to Disney for a major reboot of a $233 million franchise.
Chris Pratt first made his way into the world of Hollywood by portraying the character Andy Dwyer in the popular TV show Parks and Recreation (2009-2015), which brought him widespread recognition and love from fans. His portrayal of the endearingly goofy and lovable Andy showcased his comedic talents and laid the foundation for his future success. But that was just the beginning for the actor, who has now transcended the world of acting, becoming one of the most popular names in Hollywood.
The turning point in Pratt’s career came when he was cast as Peter Quill, also known as Star-Lord, in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). Directed by James Gunn, the film was a critical and commercial success, propelling Pratt into the A-list of Hollywood actors. His humorous and charismatic portrayal of Star-Lord resonated with audiences, and the film’s unique blend of humor, action, and music contributed to its widespread appeal.
Pratt continued to be a prominent figure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), reprising his role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: End Game (2019), and Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 (2023). His presence in the MCU solidified his status as an action star.
Aside from his Marvel roles, Pratt has also taken on other notable roles in films such as Jurassic World (2015) and its sequels Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) and Jurassic World: Dominion (2022), where he played Owen Grady, a raptor trainer in a dinosaur-centric action-adventure series. Of course, the most prominent franchise that Pratt recently got involved in was Illumination’s Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023).
The movie, which saw Chris Pratt play the voice of Mario and Charlie Day take over as the voice of Luigi, brought in an impressive $1.36 billion at the box office. The movie performed well enough to become the third-best animated film at the global box office ever, just behind Disney’s The Lion King (2019) and Frozen II (2019). It also proved the staying power of Universal’s Illumination Studios, which had just seen a commercial success in Minions: The Rise of Gru the previous year.
Though Pratt has received some backlash from fans who believed he shouldn’t portray the role of Mario, the movie’s success proved that he was more than capable of pulling off the role of the beloved video game character and opened up doors for a major sequel in the future. Though a sequel hasn’t been confirmed for the franchise, all signs indicate that we’ll get to see the characters on the big screen again, likely with more information to come after the ongoing strikes in Hollywood come to an end.
However, recent reports from GFR indicate that Pratt might be leaving the franchise behind for a little while to pursue a reboot being planned by The Walt Disney Company. According to the reports, Chris Pratt is signed on to take on the role of Klaatu in 20th Century Studios’ reboot of The Day The Earth Stood Still.
“Well, apparently the Earth is getting really good at standing still,” the report indicates. “At least it seems that way according to our trusted and proven sources, who tell us that 20th Century Studios is once more remaking the 1951 sci-fi classic The Day the Earth Stood Still. This time it will be Chris Pratt in the lead role of Klaatu — the alien who arrives on Earth with a dire warning for humanity.”
If this report proves to be true, it would be an interesting choice for Pratt to be cast as the lead in the franchise. The Day The Earth Stood Still was originally made in 1951, but a remake was released in 2008. The movie grossed over $233 million at the box office, so this would be yet another reboot for the franchise.
As far as what else the future holds for Chris Pratt, it’s clear that he’ll be returning to the Super Mario Bros. franchise at some point. For now, however, it’s just not certain how long that may be before the studio– which was already reportedly working on a Despicable Me 4— is ready to move forward with another project.
The husband of Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt has also been tied to James Gunn’s DC Universe as the MCU’s Guardians of the Galaxy franchise has likely come to an end, but nothing has been confirmed. In addition, there have been rumors that Pratt could play the role of Owen Grady yet again if Universal Pictures elected to make another installment of the Jurassic World franchise. However, none of this has been confirmed at this point.
With his MCU run likely over for a while, what would you like to see Chris Pratt do next? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!