Lots Of “Avengers” Rushed To Defend Chris Pratt’s Honor Against The Implication That He’s The Worst Chris
For several years, Chris Pratt has been included in what I’ll call the Four Chris Men of the Hunkpocalypse. Four hunky Chrises (Evans, Hemsworth, Pine, and Pratt) that all appear in superhero films and, let’s be honest, are kind of interchangeable. Except there was one Chris that the internet decided didn’t really fit in with the rest of the Chrises, and that was Chris Pratt. This was officially decided on Twitter over the weekend, after a “One’s Gotta Go” meme format featuring the Four Chrises went a little viral. What started as a light-hearted internet joke has turned into a full-blown, “Avengers, ASSEMBLE” situation. Tons of famous types have swooped in to rescue Chris Pratt from his online haters by swearing he’s a super-good guy worthy of the Four Chrises Club.
The general consensus was that Chris Pratt could go, due to Chris spending the past couple of years putting out several right-leaning MAGA supporter energy. The latest in a long list of possible evidence was Chris’ absence from a Marvel Cinematic Universe-themed Joe Biden fundraiser. Chris’ wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger, has publicly supported Joe Biden’s campaign, but Chris has been silent. He’s also big into Hillsong Church, which has faced accusations of being anti-LGBTQ. But Chris isn’t that type of guy, says Katharine and Chris’ fellow Marvel franchise co-stars. People magazine says that Katharine’s pro-Chris Pratt activism happened on Instagram, when she responded to an E! News post asking about the Pick-A-Chris meme. She wrote:
“Is this really what we need? There’s so much going on in the world and people are struggling in so many ways. Being mean is so yesterday. There’s enough room to love all these guys. Love is what we all need not meanness and bullying. Let’s try that.”
While Katherine decided to confront what she perceived as bullying, others chose to focus on Chris as a person. Robert Downey Jr. (who was involved in the Biden fundraiser) called Chris his “brother,” and assured us he’s a “real Christian” who is chock full o’ positivity and gratitude.
Mark Ruffalo, a very pro-Biden person and vocal supporter of LGBTQ issues, tweeted that Chris is a good guy who generally keeps his politics to himself.
You all, @prattprattpratt is as solid a man there is. I know him personally, and instead of casting aspersions, look at how he lives his life. He is just not overtly political as a rule. This is a distraction. Let’s keep our eyes on the prize, friends. We are so close now.
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) October 20, 2020
James Gunn, who directed Chris in the Guardians of the Galaxy films, really came to Chris’ defense. James assured us all that Chris is a lovely person, and we shouldn’t assume he’s one of those hateful, awful Christians. Oh, and Chris’ maybe anti-gay church? Don’t worry folks, Chris doesn’t love all aspects of his church, like the maybe-anti-gay part.
Sorry. Just finding out about this nonsense. @prattprattpratt is the best dude in the world. I’ve spent hours & hours sharing my deepest truths with this man, as he has with me. Please stop assuming what he believes, politically or in any other way, because he’s a Christian. https://t.co/XSIgU9WemX
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) October 20, 2020
That’s exactly true. And many actors are nice only to people in power. What matters to me is how people treat the crew members, and wait staff, and fans. And Chris Pratt is always incredibly kind to these people, which is one of the reasons I love him. https://t.co/3UjuW5NTVv
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) October 20, 2020
Chris himself has openly stated the church he attends doesn’t reflect all of his personal views, and that he is a “man who believes that everyone is entitled to love who they want.”
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) October 20, 2020
Zoe Saldana also showed love for Chris, saying that people know his “heart.”
No matter how hard it gets, stick your chest out, keep your head up and handle it.
-Tupac
You got this @prattprattpratt . Your family, friends, colleagues & everyone who’s ever crossed paths with you knows your heart and your worth!— Zoe Saldana (@zoesaldana) October 21, 2020
As for the three other Chrises, they haven’t been so eager to help do damage control. But the internet was quick to respond back to all the love Chris was getting from his big-name co-stars. Many people pointed out that by belonging to a church that might promote homophobia is king of accepting that hate. Others side-eyed how quick Iron Man and The Hulk jumped into action when they were silent over the online hate Brie Larson got when she said that the world of film criticism isn’t very diverse. Or the hate Zendaya has gotten. Or Tessa Thompson. Or Anthony Mackie. Basically, anyone involved in the MCU that isn’t a handsome white guy.
Brie Larson, Zendaya and Anthony Mackie faced months of hateful attacks, yet most of you in the cast were silent as hell. But when Chris Pratt loses a silly Twitter poll, y’all lose your damn minds. https://t.co/jKhAq5u1HI
— A Little Royal (@alittlebitroyal) October 21, 2020
This still doesn’t solve the mystery of whether Chris Pratt is a good Chris or a bad Chris, and I don’t know what Chris can do to prove he’s worthy of the not-real made-up Chris club. Is The Hulk’s word enough to convince us? Do we need to see Chris appear live on camera in a rainbow muscle shirt, saying the words, “I do not like Donald Trump“? Actually, that’s not a solution to anything. He’d first make you sit through two to three hundred scripture verses, and with only 13 days until the election, nobody’s got time for that.
Pic: Wenn.com