Several MCU stars have taken to social media to defend Chris Pratt after the actor became the subject of intense internet backlash. Prior to debuting within the MCU, Pratt was best known for playing Andy Dwyer on Parks and Recreation. In 2014, he starred in Guardians of the Galaxy as Peter Quill, aka Star Lord, and quickly became one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. He has since taken on a starring role in the Jurassic World franchise while reprising his Star Lord for three additional MCU films. Pratt is expected to return for the in-development Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which has yet to received a release date.
The online backlash against Pratt began on Sunday, when social media users began to respond to the question of “which Chris” should disappear from the famous group of actors named Chris: Evans, Pine, Hemsworth, and Pratt. In the end, countless people chose Pratt because of his political and religious views; the actor himself was trending on Twitter because of it. As of the time of this writing, Pratt has yet to respond to this, but several stars he’s worked with have come to his defense.
So far, four notable members of the MCU have posted messages of support for Pratt on social media. The first was Robert Downey Jr., calling Pratt his “brother,” and suggesting those who speak out against him delete their social media. Mark Ruffalo soon followed, writing, “I know him personally, and instead of casting aspersions, look at how he lives his life.” Then, two parts of Pratt’s Guardians of the Galaxy team, director James Gunn and Zoe Saldana, added their own positive messages. You can see all of the posts down below.
Now similar backlash is spreading against those who have defended Pratt, with many questioning why they didn’t come to the support of other MCU actors like Brie Larson, Tessa Thompson, and Zendaya. All three actresses, as well as several others, faced internet backlash for their castings, yet those like Downey and Ruffalo never came to their defense. So far, no other MCU actors appear to have posted in support of Pratt.
Pratt previously came under fire for joining a church with anti-LGBTQ views, with actress Ellen Page notably calling him out for it. In criticizing him, numerous fans brought up the church once more, and several of those who defended him have referenced his Christian background, insisting Pratt doesn’t support those negative views. It remains to be seen if Pratt will respond to this backlash himself, or if more will come to his side. So far, those who supported him have stood beside their messages, and only time will tell what this means for the MCU going forward.
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