Chris Pratt is one of the most sought-after actors in the industry. He is one of the highest-grossing actors of all time, and his leading roles have collectively earned nearly $6 billion worldwide. His box office sum is even higher when considering his supporting roles, including his MCU roles.

However, there have been divided opinions about Pratt over time, especially regarding many of his projects. His voice acting in The Super Mario Bros. Movie and The Garfield Movie was particularly criticized by those who thought his performances lacked range.

As a result, Pratt’s career has gone up and down in terms of reception and the box office. He seems to do well when attached to big franchise movies, but his non-IP genre films can tend to take a hit. That said, Pratt is soon making another effort in one key genre, sci-fi, which could be his sH๏τ at redemption.

Chris Pratt Has Been A Sci-Fi Movie Star Several Times, But They All Had Problems

They Could Not Be Both Critical And Commercial Successes

Pratt is no stranger to the sci-fi genre, but not all his movies have done well. Guardians of the Galaxy has sci-fi elements, but is so tied to the superhero genre that it cannot count within this genre classification.

His past sci-fi projects include Pᴀssengers, The Tomorrow War, and Electric State. All of these movies received pretty terrible reviews, and the former two are largely forgotten. Pᴀssengers got a 30% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes. The Tomorrow War did slightly better, managing a 51% Tomatometer, but The Electric State got just 14%.

Pᴀssengers also had a lackluster box office performance, making only $303 million worldwide on a $110 million budget. The Tomorrow War was not nearly as big of a hit on Prime Video. Electric State did comparatively better in terms of viewership numbers, but its exceptionally low reviews counteract that.

Overall, these films show how much Pratt has struggled in the sci-fi genre. In order to be respected in this niche, he needs a better sH๏τ.

Mercy Sounds Like Chris Pratt’s SH๏τ To Become A Real Sci-Fi Star

The Film Has A Promising Hook

Mercy could be Pratt’s chance at sci-fi victory. The film has an interesting premise, following a detective who is accused of a crime and then forced to prove his innocence. The film is directed by Timur Bekmambetov, and Pratt’s co-stars include Rebecca Ferguson, Annabelle Wallis, Noah Fearnley, and Chris Sullivan.

Mercy is classified within the sci-fi genre. As such, it will give Pratt another chance at his oft-acted but frequently dismissed genre performance.

In an interview with Collider last year, Pratt hyped up Mercy, saying that the movie was “inventive” and “absolutely original.” If Mercy lives up to this hype, it will give Pratt his first real sH๏τ at sci-fi stardom.

Mercy Needs To End A Chris Pratt Sci-Fi Streak To Become A Hit

Otherwise, Pratt’s Sci-Fi Reputation Will Suffer Even More

To succeed, however, Mercy needs to go against the bad pattern he has set. Outside the superhero-infused Guardians of the Galaxy movies, Pratt has never had a well-reviewed sci-fi film. This established some preconceived dismissal of Pratt in this genre.

To truly become a success, Mercy must not only be a critical darling, but it has to gain momentum at the box office as well. This is half the battle when it comes to making a successful film, and a threshold it will have to cross. If it doesn’t, this could be the end of the line for studios trusting Pratt as a sci-fi film lead.