James Gun may have just been rehired by Disney to direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but Dave Bautista, who plays Drax in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, hinted at Gunn’s return before anything was made official. Among many others - including actors involved with the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise - Bautista has stood in Gunn’s defense ever since he was let go.

Last summer, some crude tweets from Gunn’s now-deleted Twitter account surfaced that painted the filmmaker in a negative light. As a result, Disney fired him from his directing duties on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, causing a major uproar among fans and members of the film industry alike. Over the past seven months, there have been open letters in support of Gunn, speculation as to who might be his replacement, and a persistent hope that Disney might change their mind and rehire him. As it turns out, Disney had a change of heart and finally  brought him back on board as director, and the rest is history. That said, Bautista might have known well before the public did.

During an interview with EW’s Anthony Breznican (via: ComicBook), Bautista mentioned that Gunn had been getting calls from Marvel, saying, “His phone was ringing the day after with Marvel." He then all but confirmed Gunn’s return to the MCU, saying, “He’s bouncing back, big time. In the next 6 to 8 months, next year, you’re gonna see James Gunn bounce back in a huge way, which is gonna be a huge statement and real vindication.” Bautista even added that Disney “realized they made a harsh, rash decision that was probably not the best decision.” So, even though he didn’t outright confirm the fact that Gunn would be returning to direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, he offered up a considerable amount of hints.

Despite the major fallout that Gunn had with Disney, his career was hardly in trouble after leaving the MCU seeing as he was quickly hired by Warner Bros. to helm The Suicide Squad. In fact, as if there had to be further proof just how strong the relationship between Bautista and Gunn actually is, Gunn revealed that he is even considering Bautista for a role in the upcoming sequel. Whether or not a role in both The Suicide Squad and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ends up causing any conflict for Bautista remains to be seen.

As exhausting as the entire Gunn/Disney debacle might have been over the past half-year, the unyielding support paid off. And considering how enthusiastic the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 cast has been about Gunn’s return, fans can be fairly certain that the final payoff will have been well worth all the months of uncertainty and drama.

More: James Gunn Issues Statement On Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Rehiring

Source: Anthony Breznican, ComicBook

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