Chris Pratt is open to returning as Star-Lord for the right story

After a decade on our screens, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 marks a farewell to Marvel’s favorite A-holes. However, as James Gunn departs for DC, it seems it may not be the end of the road for all of the characters. 

Speaking to GamesRadar+, Chris Pratt says that he’s open to a future with Star-Lord on the big screen, but only if it does justice to the world Gunn has created. 

"It would be strange to continue Peter’s story without James," Pratt says of a potential return without Gunn leading the charge. "He's done such a masterful job in the first three films. We really found the voice of Peter Quill together and without him, obviously, I would never have had this opportunity. He writes it, he directs it, he dreams up the music, it’s his imagination on screen. So, to continue to tell the story, it would really be important to honor what he's done in the first three films and to honor what the fans have grown to love about the character and not simply do it because people might show up to pay for it, you know?"

Pratt continues: "I don't want to be cynical in the approach and if that's the case, I just wouldn't do it at all. So maybe down the road if something makes sense I would do it but it would really have to check a lot of the right boxes."

Part of this determination comes from the very special relationship that Pratt developed working with Gunn on these movies. The Suicide Squad director first cast him back in 2013, changing the actor’s career trajectory from comedy roles in Parks & Recreation to a Hollywood leading man. 

"We've both grown up so much," Pratt says of their partnership. "We've been through a lot together, the ups and the downs, we've been there for each other by just being together for that many years under the circumstances of filming a movie, which is really a pressure cooker. It's a true crucible as you're spending 15 or 16 hours a day on set, away from your family, isolated from your loved ones, and in a way you become a family. It's a bit like the circus. It's been a hell of a ride."

Pratt adds that they've grown as people outside of the movie too. "It's been 10 years," he continues, thoughtfully. "Not only making the films and releasing films, and promoting the films, but also the big life moments in between – the babies being born, the weddings, and all of that stuff. Our friendship has just been solidified over and over again to the point that we don't ever have to work again and we're still going to be calling each other all the time and talking."

It’s not just Pratt’s relationship with Gunn that’s grown over the years, either. Looking back on the journey of these movies, the actor is keen to share that this conclusion to the trilogy is first and foremost a love letter to the fans who’ve been with them along the way.

"I really love the idea that 10 years have passed since the first film and fans will have grown up watching these movies," he says of the trilogy’s ending. "I think it's a more emotional ride than the previous two [but] it's exciting to me that people who were kids when the first movie came out are now young adults and will emotionally be ready. They've matured alongside the franchise in a way. This is an emotional send-off that feels like it's specifically made for them."

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 arrives in theaters on May 3 in the UK and May 5 in the US. For more on the MCU, check out our breakdown of how to watch the Marvel movies in order and all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows on the way.