Though one particular Star-Lord’s moment in the MCU earned the hero a lot of hate, one of the most common criticisms was actually already proven wrong. Since his introduction in Guardians of the Galaxy, Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord quickly became one of the MCU’s funniest and best-written characters. His goofy nature combined with his status as a roguish hero was a winning formula. At least, for a time.
In only his third appearance in the MCU, Star-Lord earned the ire of fans. Avengers: Infinity War saw Thanos kill his adopted daughter Gamora to gain possession of the Soul Stone, shortly before being confronted by the amassed forces of the franchises heroes. It was here that Star-Lord had his most unpopular MCU moment.
After learning of the death of his love interest Gamora, Star-Lord grows angry. Losing his cool, he attacks Thanos, giving the Mad Titan the upper hand and allowing him to overpower the Avengers. The moment received a lot of hate: some felt that Star-Lord was responsible for Thanos’ victory, while others felt the decision was out of character for the usually aloof Star-Lord. However, the MCU had already proved the latter wrong, and fans likely should have seen his outburst coming.
Star-Lord’s Lowest MCU Moment Had An Overlooked Precedent
While Star-Lord’s lowest MCU moment might have afforded Thanos an opportunity to break free from the Avengers, it’s one that his fellow Guardians (and fans) should have seen coming. Just one year before, in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Star-Lord did exactly the same thing. What’s more, it was for almost exactly the same reason.
When learning that Ego was responsible for his mother’s death, Star-Lord unthinkingly attacked the much more powerful being. This nearly cost the hero his life, and ended with Yondu sacrificing himself to save his adopted son. After learning that he was face to face with a villain who had killed a loved one, Star-Lord lost his cool, and all hell broke loose. In other words, his fellow Guardians might have known not to let him repeat the mistake.
The notion that it was out of character for Star-Lord to attack Thanos obviously hold no water. The emotional nature of the Infinity War scene combined with the much higher stakes are likely responsible for the oversight, but Star-Lord’s angry MCU moment was foreshadowed in his previous outing. Whether or not he can be blamed for the Blip is a matter of opinion, but the rash attack on Thanos was very much in character for Star-Lord.