Early concerns that backlash against star Chris Pratt might hurt highest-grossing video game movie of all-time, and beat out Disney's Frozen II for the biggest opening weekend ever for an animated film.
Given the utter domination that came with its release, it seems likely that it will remain atop the box office for the next few weeks. In fact, only one release will dethrone the cinematic juggernaut--and it also stars Chris Pratt. The final film in James Gunn's Marvel trilogy Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be released on May 5th, 2023, and Pratt will once again star as the charismatic leader of the Guardians, Peter Quill. Given that the controversy and backlash that has plagued Pratt online for years was unable to affect the release of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, it's extremely unlikely that the swan song of the wildly popular Guardians of the Galaxy franchise will suffer, either.
Chris Pratt's Own GOTG 3 Will Kill Super Mario's Box Office Domination
The hype and anticipation around the star-studded The Super Mario Bros. Movie led most studios to avoid April 2023 for significant family-friendly film releases. Because of that it should continue to dominate the box office as the only noteworthy target for those wishing to bring kids to the theaters. Significant positive word-of-mouth on social media, along with a very TikTok-friendly song headlining the soundtrack should bring in more viewers who may have otherwise been uninterested or waited for the movie to come to a streaming platform. However, all of these factors won't be enough to overcome the Marvel machine, as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will take the top spot at the box office when it opens May 5th.
The final adventure of James Gunn's beloved band of misfits will dominate the family-friendly target audience, and will likely capture a similar target share as The Super Mario Bros. Movie in that regard. That is enough on its own to unseat Mario, but when you factor in the built-in audience that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has, the video game legend has no chance to keep his crown. While that is the largest factor in the film's near-certain success, having one of Hollywood's most popular movie stars has always made a difference for the Guardians franchise.
Why Chris Pratt Is Crushing The 2023 Box Office (Despite Backlash)
The controversy surrounding Pratt has led to a general dislike of the actor online, and has even resulted in a widespread call for Marvel to recast the role of Star Lord. His affiliation with the high-profile Hillsong Church--an organization with a history of anti-LGBTQ+ messaging--drew the ire of social media, and led to higher scrutiny for just about everything that the star does and says in the public eye. However, one significant difference between Pratt and other celebrities who have dealt with backlash is the fact that Pratt has never been accused of any sort of misconduct. Additionally, Pratt has been defended time and again by his Marvel co-stars and by James Gunn himself, all of whom have recounted Pratt's quality as a person.
Pratt also has the benefit of his own screen presence. Dating back to his time as lovable goofball Andy Dwyer on Parks and Recreation, Pratt typically plays the charismatic good guy, and has done it in several high-profile franchises. His talent for heartfelt and comedic acting is what makes him so bankable as a movie star, and it's being proven right now as he dominates the box office in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. He'll continue to dominate as Peter Quill when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters, and there seems to be no amount of backlash that can curtail his superstardom.
