Dave Bautista has not minced words, voicing his displeasure at the firing of his Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn over offensive Tweets the filmmaker made on social media years ago. When asked by a fan if he has any plans should Disney and Marvel no reinstate Gunn for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (with indicators saying Gunn will NOT be rehired), Bautista replied with candor:
Wow. This has been a major question hanging over this entire firing like a dark cloud. How would the existing Guardians of the Galaxy actors respond if Disney and Marvel failed to reverse course and rehire James Gunn to finish the work that he started on this trilogy of films? The cast released a joint statement, and though the studio has yet to announce a new hire to replace Gunn, Variety recently cited sources stating that the studio would not change its mind, and that Gunn's jokes are not what the family-friendly studio wants to be part of.
There are two important things to note in Dave Bautista's Tweet. First, he's contractually obligated to appear in upcoming Marvel Studios movies. Drax will be back, in Avengers 4 and, likely, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. As Bautista says, he will do what he is "legally obligated" to do.
But damn, if this Tweet doesn't clearly state that his heart isn't going to be in it. Because in his mind, and in his heart -- and I'm certain he's not alone -- a Guardians movie without James Gunn at the helm just isn't a Guardians of the Galaxy movie.
So why bother? Well, for starters, it's very possible that Marvel Studios has the right script in its hands, as James Gunn has turned in what he viewed as a heartfelt draft of a third adventure for the cosmic misfits that he introduced to audiences in 2014:
But a script is one thing. Direction is another. And loyalty from a cast that legitimately feels like a family is another thing entirely. It doesn't matter who Disney and Marvel eventually hire to direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. That person, in the eyes of the cast, will simply be "not James Gunn." And that probably won't be good enough for Marvel fans far and wide.
