He led a successful career transition from lovable dork in comedy movies and TV to becoming the hunky action star in a number of blockbuster franchises.
But it would seem that Chris Pratt’s star power has recently hit a snag.
In his latest sci-fi thriller release Mercy – which hit theaters on January 23 – Pratt, 46, stars as a detective accused of murdering his wife.
Less than a week after its debut, the film has received a blistering 21 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
One review from The Ringer labeled it ‘visually ugly, conceptually derivative, and riddled with logistical inconsistencies from beginning to end.’
Meanwhile, Mercy only managed to rake in an estimated $11.2 million domestically during its opening weekend, according to Deadline.
Chris Pratt, 46, is ‘really feeling his age in Hollywood’ after a series of blockbuster flops, multiple sources have exclusively told the Daily Mail
The actor’s latest sci-fi film Mercy (pictured) received a blistering 21 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and earned an estimated $11.2 million domestically during its opening weekend
That’s compared to Pratt’s Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, the last installment of which earned $289.4 million opening weekend, or his 2015 film Jurassic World, which made over $200 million opening weekend.
Now, multiple inside sources have exclusively shared with the Daily Mail that Pratt’s latest blunder has the star ‘panicking’ about his fate in the industry. Without the safety net of a major movie franchise to soften the load, the father of four has supposedly begun to ‘feel invisible’ in Hollywood.
‘Chris is panicking. Full stop,’ one insider said. ‘This is the first time he’s really feeling his age in Hollywood – and it’s shaken him.’
‘He always thought he had another decade of bulletproof stardom,’ another source explained. ‘Now he’s looking around and realizing the parts aren’t coming like they used to.’
The speculation about Pratt’s decades-long career first circulated last month when journalist Robert Shuter wrote in a Substack post that Pratt was ‘freaking out’ behind the scenes following the release of Mercy.
Shuter said in his Naughty But Nice newsletter that Pratt was allegedly ‘spiraling’ over the film’s abysmal opening weekend, as he ‘believed his name alone could open a movie.’
Speaking to the Daily Mail, a third inside source close to the actor confirmed as much when they shared that Pratt has been ‘obsessing over box office numbers and Rotten Tomatoes’ scores.
‘That’s classic midlife crisis behavior in this town,’ they added.
A separate source told the Daily Mail that Pratt has been ‘obsessing over box office numbers and Rotten Tomatoes’ scores
Perhaps the panic over his career began when Pratt was ostensibly replaced by British actor Jonathan Bailey in the latest movie from the Jurassic Park franchise, Jurassic World Rebirth, which hit theaters in July 2025.
In one review for Jurassic World Rebirth, Bailey – who plays new character Dr. Henry Loomis – was hailed as ‘the movie’s true star,’ while another said his ‘performance towers over the rest of the ensemble’ cast.
A studio source told the Daily Mail, ‘Getting edged out of the Jurassic conversation – especially with Jonathan Bailey stepping in – hit him hard. That was a gut punch. It felt symbolic.’
Last year, it would seem that Pratt attempted to have a blockbuster comeback with Netflix’s science fiction action-adventure film The Electric State, which also starred Millie Bobby Brown.
But The Electric State received an even lower from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, at just 14 percent.
As for Pratt’s long-running Marvel franchise Guardians of the Galaxy, which launched him into superstardom a decade ago, the final film in the Sean Gunn-directed trilogy was released in 2023 as Pratt said goodbye to his superhero persona Peter Quill.
He is understood to be having ‘a real fear of being replaced’ in Hollywood, another insider said, with younger, fresher and less expensive actors ‘suddenly winning the roles he assumed were his.’
In 2009, Pratt landed his breakout role as the goofy Andy Dwyer in the NBC comedy series Parks and Recreation.
As for Pratt’s long-running Marvel franchise Guardians of the Galaxy, which launched him into superstardom a decade ago, the final film in the Sean Gunn-directed trilogy was released in 2023
Pratt’s 2015 film Jurassic World (pictured) made over $200 million its opening weekend
Pictured in 2015: Pratt landed his breakout role as the goofy Andy Dwyer in the NBC comedy series Parks and Recreation, which ran from 2009 to 2015
He appeared in Parks and Rec throughout all seven seasons until 2015, though he noticeably underwent a physical transformation in the final season due to filming for Guardians of the Galaxy.
The 2014 Marvel film ultimately launched Pratt into superstardom, becoming one of the top-grossing actors at the worldwide box office with his entire career earnings reaching $14.1 billion, according to Business Insider.
However, his rise to fame hasn’t been without its fair share of controversies, including his divorce from fellow comedic star Anna Faris and his alleged ties to the conservative church Hillsong.
Pratt was previously married to The House Bunny star in 2009. They welcomed their son Jack in 2012, but announced their split in August 2017.
Their divorce was finalized in October 2018, four months after he began dating his current wife Katherine Schwarzenegger, who is ten years his junior.
He proposed to the 36-year-old author in January 2019 and they were married in June that year. They went on to welcome daughter Lyla Maria in August 2020, daughter Eloise Christina in May 2022, and son Ford Fitzgerald in November 2024.
Pratt infamously sparked backlash in 2021 when he praised his wife for giving him a ‘gorgeous healthy daughter,’ as many people noted that his son Jack was born prematurely.
He shared an Instagram post of himself and Schwarzenegger, encouraging his followers to ‘find someone’ who looks at them the way his wife does.
Pratt was previously married to actress Anna Faris from 2009 to 2017. They welcomed their son Jack in 2012 (pictured in 2017)
He began dating Katherine Schwarzenegger in 2018, four months before he finalized his divorce. They were married in June 2019 and share three children together
‘We met in church. She’s given me an amazing life, a gorgeous healthy daughter, she chews so loudly that sometimes I put in my earbuds to drown it out, but that’s love!’ his caption read.
‘She helps me with everything. In return, periodically, I open a jar of pickles. That’s the trade. Her heart is pure and it belongs to me.’
Many fans accused Pratt of ‘passive aggressive’ towards Faris, who has been open about their son’s health issues. He finally addressed the backlash in 2022 during an interview with Men’s Health, in which he called out critics for claiming the post was ‘a dig at his ex-wife.’
‘My son’s gonna read that one day. He’s nine. And it’s etched in digital stone. It really f**king bothered me, dude. I cried about it,’ he said at the time.
‘I was like, I hate that these blessings in my life are – to the people close to me – a real burden.’
Pratt has also stoked controversy due to his faith and speculation surrounding his political views.
In 2019, the actor came under fire when Juno star Elliot Page claimed that Pratt’s Los Angeles-based church, the Zoe Church – which has ties to the controversial Hillsong megachurch – was ‘infamously anti-LGBTQ.’
Zoe Church LA was established in 2015 by Chad Veach, a former Hillsong Church pastor.
Another source told the Daily Mail that money has become ‘a huge stress point’ for the actor, who is ‘used to franchise paydays’
Hillsong Church was at the center of a major scandal in 2020 and 2021, after celebrity pastor Carl Lentz was fired over ‘leadership issues and breaches of trust, plus a recent revelation of moral failures,’ the church said at the time.
Lentz publicly acknowledged that he was ‘unfaithful in my marriage’ to his wife Laura Lentz, who was also a pastor at Hillsong.
Pratt later responded to Page’s accusation on Instagram, ‘It has recently been suggested that I belong to a church which “hates people” and is “infamously anti-LGBTQ. Nothing could be further from the truth. I go to a church that opens their doors to absolutely everyone.’
He further discussed the scandal in his 2022 interview with Men’s Health, explaining to the outlet that he ‘never went to Hillsong.’
Following a series of social media scandals and his latest blockbuster flop, a separate source told the Daily Mail that money has become ‘a huge stress point’ for the actor, who is ‘used to franchise paydays.’
With over two decades in Hollywood under his belt, Pratt is well aware that ‘growing older in this industry is brutal,’ another friend admitted to the Daily Mail.
Meanwhile, a final source said this is the first time in his career that Pratt ‘feels invisible,’ adding, ‘For someone who’s always been on top, that’s terrifying.’
The Daily Mail has contacted Pratt’s representatives for comment.
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