Chris Pratt dominated the box office as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 eclipsed The Super Mario Bros. Movie to claim the top spot. As the star of both movies, he achieved a rare distinction formerly held by embattled actor Jonathan Majors, becoming a light in the darkness of Marvel Studios’ woes.
The star took to Twitter to announce that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 clinched the number one spot over the weekend, and thanked MCU fans for supporting the penultimate film in the trilogy.
He proved that his only competition is himself as the triumph of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 cemented his status as the latest actor to have two consecutive domestic number one hits. Critics and fans alike are praising the film and the ensemble cast that includes Zoe Saldaña (Gamora), Dave Bautista (Drax), Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff (Mantis), Vin Diesel (Groot) and Bradley Cooper (Rocket), and Will Poulter as Adam Warlock.
Pratt’s achievement was formerly held by Majors with the release of Creed III and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, just a few months ago. Such success bodes well for the studio as it tries to rise above the ashes of several box office disappointments and the scandal enveloping its current big bad.
Pratt’s star power at the box office is a welcome reminder that all may not be lost for Marvel Studios as it has other bankable names to invest in should it part ways with Majors. It will be interesting to see if the success of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 translates into a standalone franchise for Peter Quill/Star-Lord now that James Gunn has exited the MCU.
