Dave Bautista Slams Disney For Firing James Gunn, Says It ‘Empowered Some Horrible, Horrible People’

Disney James Gunn Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy actor Dave Bautista is continuing to show his support for James Gunn who was suddenly let go by Disney last summer after controversial tweets from the director resurfaced.

Since James Gunn was fired, Dave Bautista has been one of his biggest and most vocal supporters. James Gunn had written the script for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and was set to begin directing the film this past January. Production on the film has since been delayed. In the time since his firing, Dave Bautista helped launch a campaign along with the rest of the Guardians cast to persuade Disney to reconsider their decision to fire James Gunn. He also went as far to say that he would drop out of the film should Disney opt not to use James Gunn’s script.

During an interview with Tampa Bay Times, Dave Bautista was asked about James Gunn, which he defended, saying James Gunn “wouldn’t hurt a soul” but that his controversial tweets were  “gross … terrible jokes” and meant for “shock value.”

Dave Bautista went on to stand up for James Gunn criticize Disney’s decision to fire the Guardians of the Galaxy director:

“But at the end of the day, the thing I know the most, is that they were jokes, and this harsh, rash decision to fire him empowered some horrible, horrible people.”

He also made it clear how important loyalty is to him but admitted while defending the director was taxing:

“It was draining. But if I’m not the guy who defends my friends, who am I?”

While James Gunn won’t be returning to direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3, Dave Bautista is expected to reprise his role as Drax The Destroyer. He’ll next be seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe this April in Avengers: Endgame.

Here’s the synopsis to Avengers: Endgame:

After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018), the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos’ actions and restore order to the universe once and for all, no matter what consequences may be in store.

Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, Avengers: Endgame stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Paul Rudd, Jeremy Renner, Brie Larson, Josh Brolin and Chris Pratt.

Avengers: Endgame is scheduled to be released in theaters on April 26, 2019.

Source: Tampa Bay Times

Top Actors To Replace Ben Affleck In Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’

Ben Affleck is officially out as Batman and it’s a pretty sad day.

Words cannot describe how sad I am to see Ben Affleck announce that he’s no longer Batman. His Batman is why I do what I do. In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, I fell in love with his comic book-accurate interpretation of the Caped Crusader. It was a breath of fresh air and it felt like we finally had the one true Batman.

Three years have quickly sped by and we’re officially going to receive a new Batman for his next movie. Last night, Ben Affleck announced that he will not return as the Dark Knight in Matt Reeves’ The Batman and now everyone’s attention has moved towards wanting to know who the next Bruce Wayne will be. Matt Reeves is said to want an actor that’s around 20 years younger than Affleck while Warner Bros. wants someone older. My guess is that Reeves wants a fresh start while the studio wants an older actor for crossover potential.

In this list, I will discuss the actors I think can replace Ben Affleck as Batman using the parameters that Matt Reeves and Warner Bros. want. Hit Next to see our picks to play the Batman.

Michael Fassbender

Michael Fassbender is an X-Men alum and no stranger to comic book franchises. The actor has shown multiple levels of range and could definitely handle the Batman/Bruce Wayne personality. If they go with the older range for the next Dark Knight, then Fassbender is probably one of the best choices to take over the role.

Ben Barnes

Ben Barnes is out of a job after The Punisher season 2 and he’s one of the best actors in that series. The second season tied up Barnes’ arc on The Punisher and the actor has already told us that that he’d love to play the Caped Crusader. Barnes definitely has the pretty boy look going on for him and I wonder what his take on Bruce Wayne could be.

Ryan Gosling

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: Ryan Gosling needs to star in a superhero movie. I’ve always thought Gosling would make a great Batman. Every role that he’s done has shown us his capability and he could crush it as Bruce Wayne.

Jon Hamm

Jon Hamm is my top choice for an older Batman. If Warner Bros. wants to cast an older actor for crossover potential, Jon Hamm is the studio’s best bet. He has a similar look to Ben Affleck, and c’mon, the guy’s look just screams Bruce Wayne.

Armie Hammer

Armie Hammer is 32 years old and was cast as the Caped Crusader in George Miller’s Justice League: Mortal. That film will never see the light of day, but that doesn’t mean that Hammer doesn’t deserve a second shot at being the Batman. He’s charming, broody and will probably give his all for this role. Armie Hammer is a great option because he’s young enough for Matt Reeves and Warner Bros. could work in a way for him to crossover with the rest of the DC Extended Universe.

Richard Madden

Game of Thrones alum Richard Madden is my top choice to replace Ben Affleck as Batman. The actor is young, has the look and definitely has the acting chops to play the duality of Batman and Bruce Wayne. Madden just won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television series for the BBC drama Bodyguard, so Warner Bros. may want to quickly snatch him up.

Michael Mistroff

Michael Mistroff

News Editor, Film/TV Reporter at Heroic Hollywood.