Dave Bautista Says He’ll Quit ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 3’ if Marvel Won’t Use James Gunn’s Script

“Guardians” actor has been an outspoken supporter of director fired in July over old offensive tweets

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 bautista quit james gunn
Marvel Studios

In a new interview, Dave Bautista said he is willing to quit the “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise entirely if Marvel doesn’t use the script James Gunn recently completed for “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.”

“Where I’m at right now is that if [Marvel] don’t use that script, then I’m going to ask them to release me from my contract, cut me out or recast me,” Bautista told ShortList. “I’d be doing James a disservice if I didn’t.”

“Nobody’s defending his tweets, but this was a smear campaign on a good man,” Bautista continued. “I spoke to Chris Pratt the day after it happened and he’s a bit religious so he wanted time to pray and figure it out, but I was more like: f–k this. This is bulls–t. James is one of the kindest, most decent people I’ve met.”

Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment from TheWrap. Representatives for Bautista also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Disney fired Gunn in July after offensive old tweets were resurfaced as part of a campaign against Gunn spearheaded by right wing media personality Mike Cernovich. Gunn, who previously apologized for those tweets in 2012, wrote in a statement that he understood and accepted Disney’s decision.

Bautista, who plays Drax in the “Guardians” movies and “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers 4,” has been one of Gunn’s most outspoken defenders, calling the effort that got him fired a “cyber nazi attack that succeeded.” Most recently, he tweeted Sunday that it was “pretty nauseating” working for Disney after it empowered “a smear campaign by fascists #cybernazis.”

In Late July, Bautista was joined by other lead “Guardians of the Galaxy” cast members on an open letter to Disney asking for Gunn to be rehired. “In casting each of us to help him tell the story of misfits who find redemption, he changed our lives forever,” the letter reads. “We believe the theme of redemption has never been more relevant than now.”

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