Chris Pratt, who famously starred as Peter Quill/Star-Lord in James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy series, conveyed optimism about reuniting with the director. Even though Gunn has transitioned from Marvel to DC, Pratt remains hopeful that the James Gunn Chris Pratt collaboration could continue in the future. The pair worked together on the original Guardians of the Galaxy film in 2014, its two sequels, and a holiday spin-off special.
Pratt has been linked to the possibility of joining the DC Universe, largely because Gunn often casts familiar actors in his latest projects. Speculation arose around whether Pratt might take on one of DC’s most legendary roles. Recently, during an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast hosted by Josh Horowitz, Pratt opened up about the potential of suiting up as Batman.
Chris Pratt’s Take on Playing Batman
On the podcast, Pratt revealed,
“I sent [Gunn] a picture of myself with a Batman mask on,”
followed by the admission that the image was a Photoshop creation.
“It was actually… I did it in Photoshop. And he just said, ‘Haha,’”
Pratt shared. Despite this playful exchange, he quickly dismissed the idea of taking on the Batman mantle:
“So, I think it’s safe to say I’m not going to be Batman.”
He added with a sarcastic tone,
“You know what? I don’t want to do it anyway.”
The actor clarified that while he had expressed some interest, the role was never realistically on the table. Pratt acknowledged the challenges inherent in stepping into Batman’s shoes, saying,
“There [have] been so many Batman [actors]—Like, what do you do?”
He further noted the difficulty in reinventing a character with such a lengthy and varied cinematic legacy.
Pratt continued,
“I don’t know how to play [Batman] because it’s like even the choice made by Christian Bale to do that voice now seems like it’s self-parody at this point a little bit; I think you have to just like completely find a brand-new way to reinvent that.”
His comments emphasized the complex nature of portraying a character repeatedly reimagined over many decades.
The Unique Challenge of Reimagining Iconic Roles
Reflecting on his own experience, Pratt pointed out the advantage of being the first actor to bring Star-Lord to the big screen.
“That’s really tough… [because] one beautiful thing we had going for us with Guardians of the Galaxy was I was the first iteration of that character on screen,”
he explained. Pratt highlighted how actors playing roles with a long history inevitably face comparisons to predecessors, making it harder to offer something fresh.
“You’re always going to be compared against the people who have played the character before and so, eventually, it becomes almost too hackneyed to be able to make… And so that’s a tough gig for anybody. There are some actors out there that I think could do it really well, though,”
he said. This insight speaks to the difficulty and prestige of tackling iconic heroes with well-established portrayals.
Open to New Opportunities Within the DC Universe
While Pratt has ruled out Batman, he remains open about joining the DC Universe in another capacity. His eagerness to work with James Gunn again is clear, even if a fourth Guardians of the Galaxy film seems unlikely. However, Pratt has yet to specify which DC role he might aspire to play.
During the podcast, Pratt remarked,
“I always try to lead with mystery because I think it would be amazing to be able to do it,”
suggesting potential roles that Gunn might envision for him.
“I think there’s some that I think I could play, and he probably feels the same way.”
He stressed he was not merely teasing fans:
“I’d like to be mysterious and lead people on a little bit, but in all honesty, I don’t know.”
“I would love to work with him again, though,”
Pratt added, expressing strong interest in collaborating with Gunn once more. Despite this openness, Pratt’s future could also involve more Marvel projects, as he has previously hinted at reprising his role as Star-Lord.
