Chris Pratt Confirms Long-Awaited Update on His Marvel Future

Marvel fans have been patient. Like, painfully patient.

Ever since the Marvel Cinematic Universe wrapped up the Guardians of the Galaxy storyline (at least the version we’ve known for years), people have been asking the same question over and over: When is Chris Pratt coming back?

Because love him or hate him, Star-Lord has become one of the most recognizable characters in the entire MCU. He’s not just a side hero anymore—he’s a personality that helped define the tone of Marvel’s modern era.

And now, after months of silence, we finally got an update.

The problem? It’s not exactly the kind of update that settles anything. If anything, it’s the kind of comment that makes the debate louder.

Chris Pratt Became One of the MCU’s Most Important Characters

When Chris Pratt first showed up as Peter Quill in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), it felt like Marvel was taking a considerable risk. The character wasn’t a household name, the team was weird, and the entire concept leaned into comedy more than anything the MCU had done at that point.

But it worked. Actually, it worked too well.

Star-Lord quickly became the glue that held the Guardians together, balancing the group’s emotional moments with just enough chaos to keep everything fun. Pratt’s version of Quill wasn’t a traditional superhero. He felt like a guy who somehow stumbled into saving the universe by accident.

And over time, the character became a major player in the MCU’s biggest storylines.

The Star-Lord Debate Has Never Fully Gone Away

Of course, Chris Pratt’s MCU popularity has always come with a side of controversy.

Over the years, Pratt has drawn criticism from certain corners of the internet for various reasons, including speculation about his personal beliefs and the circles he associates with. Whether those criticisms are fair or overblown depends entirely on who you ask—but the reality is, the conversation has followed him for a long time.

And in the current era of Hollywood, controversy can absolutely impact casting decisions.

At the same time, there’s another side of the argument that Marvel can’t ignore: plenty of fans still view Pratt as the definitive Star-Lord. They think he’s hilarious, iconic, and one of the most naturally entertaining actors the MCU has ever had.

So even though some people want Marvel to move on, others feel like the franchise still isn’t complete without him.

Avengers: Doomsday Is Coming, and Star-Lord Isn’t Anywhere

Here’s what’s made fans especially nervous lately: the MCU is heading straight into another massive crossover era, and Peter Quill feels completely absent from the conversation.

Chris Pratt’s last MCU appearance was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), which ended with a particular promise: “Star-Lord will return.”

That wasn’t subtle. That was Marvel telling fans directly that they weren’t done with him.

Since then, Pratt has openly expressed interest in continuing the character’s story and has even hinted that he’s pitched ideas to Marvel about how Star-Lord could fit into future ensemble movies.

The issue is that Marvel has been building hype for Avengers: Doomsday—and when the cast list started coming together, Pratt’s name was nowhere to be found.

Chris Pratt Finally Confirmed Marvel Will Follow Through

That’s why this recent interview update has sparked so much attention.

While promoting his new film Mercy (2026), Chris Pratt spoke with Extra TV and addressed the lingering Star-Lord question directly. And unlike previous vague answers, this time he seemed confident.

Pratt said:

“I can tell you it will happen…All I can say is that at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), they made a promise that the legendary Star-Lord will return. And I just know the folks down at Marvel, they always make good on their promises. I can’t tell you when that’s going to be, but I can tell you it will happen.”

That quote sounds reassuring on paper, but it also leaves fans with the same frustrating problem: no timeline.

Still, for MCU fans who have been nervous that Marvel quietly dropped Quill, this is the strongest confirmation we’ve gotten in a long time.

Avengers Doomsday and Secret Wars Both Feel Like Perfect Opportunities

Even though Marvel hasn’t officially confirmed when Star-Lord will return, the upcoming slate offers two clear possibilities: Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).

Both films are expected to be massive crossover events where Marvel throws every available character into the chaos as the Multiverse collapses. If the MCU is truly heading into an “all hands on deck” scenario, it would honestly be weird to leave Quill out entirely.

In late 2025, insider Alex Perez from Cosmic Circus claimed Star-Lord was “supposed to be involved” in Avengers: Doomsday, although even he seemed uncertain about how locked-in that plan was.

Since Pratt wasn’t included in Marvel’s confirmed cast announcement livestream, his involvement could still be treated as a surprise reveal—or he could show up in a more minor role.

Star-Lord Might Have a Bigger Role Than Fans Expect

If Star-Lord appears in Avengers: Doomsday, Marvel could easily use him in a supporting role that still feels meaningful. With Doctor Doom expected to create threats across different realities, Quill could show up as one of the recruits helping Earth-based heroes handle chaos. At the same time, other Avengers deal with multiversal events elsewhere.

But Avengers: Secret Wars feels like the more likely “big comeback” moment.

If Marvel goes with the rumored Battleworld storyline—where Doctor Doom builds his own universe and rules it—Star-Lord could become the perfect leader of a resistance movement. He’s scrappy, unpredictable, and used to surviving impossible situations.

It also wouldn’t be random. In Jonathan Hickman’s 2015 Secret Wars comic event, Star-Lord played a significant role as one of the survivors who woke up on Battleworld and helped push the story forward.

If Marvel wants to give Quill a fresh arc after the Guardians trilogy, Secret Wars could be the cleanest way to do it.

Marvel Might Be Playing the Long Game Again

At the end of the day, Chris Pratt’s latest comments should excite fans—but they also raise a big question: why is Marvel still keeping Star-Lord on the sidelines?

Maybe Marvel wants his return to feel like a surprise. Perhaps they’re still figuring out how he fits into the post-Guardians world. Or maybe the controversy surrounding Pratt has made the studio more cautious than it used to be.

But one thing is clear: Marvel isn’t done with Peter Quill.

They promised Star-Lord would return, and Pratt just doubled down on that promise. Now it’s just a matter of when Marvel decides the timing is right—and whether fans will still be united when he finally shows up again.