Is this the end of Drax? Dave Bautista threatened to quit Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 if recently ousted director James Gunn’s script is not used.
“Where I’m at right now is that if [Marvel] doesn’t use that script, then I’m going to ask them to release me from my contract, cut me out or recast me,” the actor, 49, told the U.K. magazine ShortList in an interview published on Monday, August 6. “I’d be doing James a disservice if I didn’t.”
Walt Disney Studios fired Gunn, 52, as the director of the upcoming Marvel Comics movie on July 20 after several of his controversial decade-old tweets regarding pedophilia and rape resurfaced. He apologized both before and after his firing, saying in the latter statement that he takes “full responsibility for the way I conducted myself then.”
Bautista told ShortList that he believes the resurfacing of the filmmaker’s old tweets was a “smear campaign on a good man,” though he acknowledged that “nobody’s defending” the posts.
“I spoke to Chris Pratt the day after [Gunn’s firing] happened and he’s a bit religious so he wanted 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,’” the retired pro wrestler added.
Bautista echoed a similar sentiment on Twitter. “I will do what Im legally obligated to do but @Guardians without @JamesGunn is not what I signed up for,” he tweeted on Sunday, August 5. “GOTG w/o @JamesGunn just isn’t GOTG. Its also pretty nauseating to work for someone who’d empower a smear campaign by fascists #cybernazis . That’s just how I feel.”
I will do what Im legally obligated to do but @Guardians without @JamesGunn is not what I signed up for. GOTG w/o @JamesGunn just isn’t GOTG. Its also pretty nauseating to work for someone who’d empower a smear campaign by fascists #cybernazis . That’s just how I feel https://t.co/Ym4FwruVDu
— Dave Bautista (@DaveBautista) August 5, 2018
Bautista and Pratt, 39, as well as their costars Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, Sean Gunn, Vin Diesel, Pom Klementieff and Michael Rooker released an open letter on July 30 in support of reinstating the director. “Each of us looks forward to working with our friend James again in the future. His story isn’t over — not by a long shot,” they wrote. “There is little due process in the court of public opinion. James is likely not the last good person to be put on trial.”
However, Bautista admitted on Monday that he does not believe the letter will result in Gunn being rehired. Instead, he said he hopes it will open “people’s eyes to James’ character.”
