The most surprising news to come during San Diego Comic-Con wasn't a new trailer or a surprising casting announcement, it was Disney's decision to fire James Gunn following the unearthing of some old tweets the director had made which made jokes that many might not find funny. Dave Bautista had promised he would have more to say following his first statements on the topic and he now has, believing people should focus more on the good work James Gunn has done recently rather than the terrible jokes he made in the past.
Dave Bautista came to James Gunn's defense immediately after the decision to remove him from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was made and so one certainly wouldn't expect anything less than a full-throated defense to come now. Bautista's passion is palpable here. Bautista takes aim not only at those responsible for bringing the tweets to light but also anybody who is not standing by James Gunn. Bautista clearly feels that Gunn should be judged based on the work he has done recently, which he calls inspiring, rather than his behavior from years ago.
While many people are clearly going to have many different reactions to this situation, it's understandable where Dave Bautista's fire comes from here. While James Gunn's Marvel movies may have been two of the more lighthearted entries in many ways, they don't shy away from dealing with serious topics. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 especially dealt with important topics like parenthood, abuse, and toxic masculinity. It was a movie that struck a chord with many. Certainly, Bautista himself seems inspired enough to come to James Gunn's defense.
Of course, with Dave Bautista feeling so passionately about this situation, it makes one wonder how it might affect the future of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. One fan asked Big Dave if he might sit out the new film as a form of protest. Bautista doesn't answer that question with a specific answer, saying that there are bigger issues here.
While some of Dave Bautista's co-stars have stopped short of making clear statements on their feelings on this topic, expect to hear the man behind Drax continue to be very vocal about his feelings here. We certainly haven't heard the end of this story.
