Can Bautista Quit Guardians of the Galaxy? Drax's Contract Explained

Following the firing of James Gunn from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Drax star Dave Bautista has been vocal in his support for the director, suggesting he may have to leave the franchise, but will his contract even allow that?

It has been a mere two and a half weeks since James Gunn was fired from directing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 by The Walt Disney Company over offensive jokes he made on Twitter between 2008 and 2012. Gunn had previously apologized for his tweets, but Disney still severed ties with the director. The decision led to an immediate backlash from various sources, from fans and journalists to industry figures like director Fede Alvarez, comedian Patton Oswalt, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 star Kurt Russell. As of the writing of this piece, a Change.org petition in support of reinstating Gunn as director has over 371,000 signatures.

On July 30th, the cast of Guardians of the Galaxy released a joint statement expressing support for Gunn. Their support has been muted but still notable given the might of Disney and the contracts that still bind them to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the 3rd Guardians film. Yet the most vocal in his support for Gunn has been Drax actor Dave Bautista.

This Page: Dave Bautista Wants Out
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Dave Bautista Wants Out Of Guardians If Gunn Isn't Rehired

Drax laughs in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Bautista has been candid and unequivocal on this topic, condemning Disney for their decision and sharing articles on the issue that side with Gunn. This week, he took a step further, tweeting about his hesitation over joining the 3rd Guardians film. He said, after being asked by a fan how he would respond to Disney if Gunn was not reinstated as director,

"I will do what I'm 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."

Typically, celebrity statements on issues like this are more neutral, less forceful and typically not tweeted out. For Bautista to resolutely take a stance on this issue, one that he knows won’t make him popular with his very powerful employer, is striking. The question now is whether Bautista will - or even can - quit playing Drax.

Dave Bautista's Guardians of the Galaxy Contract Explained

The typical Marvel contract for actors is a long-haul commitment. Samuel L. Jackson famously signed on for nine films as Nick Fury, which seemed like an impossible amount of work over a decade ago when the MCU was but a pipe-dream. Sebastian Stan also signed on for nine films as Bucky Barnes. Mark Ruffalo was open in discussing the six-movie deal he signed for the role of Bruce Banner. Now that the MCU is over twenty films deep and Thanos’s universal finger snap leaves the door open for certain actors to walk away, many have questioned who will stay in the franchise and who will leave once their obligations are fulfilled.

Unlike many of his co-stars, Bautista has never specified the length of his Marvel contract. However, fellow Guardians of the Galaxy Chris Pratt did reveal his contract included the main trilogy and two other films - Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4 - with the possibility of extension. It's fair to assume that there's a similar situation for Bautista, with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 his current final obligation. Of course, prior to his firing Gunn had been on board at Marvel as a creative adviser to their planned cosmic universe, which would see the franchise expand beyond Earth to include adventures like Captain Marvel, so there would be no shortage of places for Drax to show up should he renegotiate.

This would make Guardians 3 currently Drax's final film, one he is expected to complete. Of course, it does not seem as though Bautista wants to do what his contract demands.

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Bautista Must Do Guardians of the Galaxy 3 If Marvel Wants Him To

There’s no way around it: if Marvel wants Dave Bautista to reprise his role as Drax for a third Guardians movie, regardless of the writer/director choice, then they can enforce that. Breach of contract in Hollywood is notoriously a messy issue and can cost an actor millions of dollars if they choose to fight it. One of the most infamous examples of this came when Kim Basinger dropped out of the film Boxing Helena. When she was sued for breach of contract, she ended up having to declare bankruptcy (as well as sell the town she owned). Preferably, these issues are dealt with outside of the courts, or the actor can take the least painful route and just do the acting required of them. It may not be their favorite choice but it’s probably the cheapest.

It’s easy to downplay Disney and Marvel’s power on an issue like this. With Disney set to own close to 40% of the American media landscape thanks to the upcoming acquisition of 21st Century Fox, they’re stronger than ever. No one actor can go against that and risk not only financial ruin but the end of their career. Bautista can kick up a fuss and make Marvel look bad but at the end of the day he possesses far less power than this mega corporation.

The issue with enforcing something like this is that Disney and Marvel would then have to deal with an actor on their payroll who is fulfilling their obligations but remains vocal in their opposition for what has become an increasingly unpopular decision. Would Bautista go on the Avengers 4 promotional trail and continue to support Gunn? Will he tweet about this every day until something is done? At what point does an already major PR issue become unmanageable for Disney? They can make Bautista turn up on set in Drax make-up and read his lines as directed but the optics of that would look unfavorable given Bautista’s own confession that he’s there under duress. Would they even want to keep him on the books if that were the case, and if not, what other options do they have?

Could Avengers 4 Kill Drax Off?

Audiences got the superhero blood-bath of a generation with Avengers: Infinity War, and while fans are comfortable in their knowledge that most of those heroes will return in the fourth film, it's open for some to not. Could this be reworked to write Drax out? Principal photography began in August of last year and wrapped in January 2018, with additional reshoots set for the next couple of months. Bautista has filmed his part, although it is possible he could be called back for reshoots.

It would be tricky but not unfeasible, but it would also present issues for fans and production alike. Would Drax be given a proper goodbye, as Bautista has deserved thanks to his stellar work in the role? Would he simply die off-screen or be replaced by a different actor? Or would the story be left intact and Drax’s absence from Guardians Vol. 3 left unexplained? If any of these options were on the table, each would carry its own problems and inspire fan backlash.

Replacing Bautista as Drax seems out of the equation for Disney. It would look too much like a callous move, shoving out the actor who criticized them, and it would be jarring for the character, who has been made so distinctive by Bautista’s work. The rest of the cast, who have all expressed their support for Gunn, may not approve of any replacement to their co-worker either.

Firing Gunn left behind a messier public relations issue than Disney may have foreseen. Aside from the political implications and the fan backlash, it cannot be ignored how their own cast members have opposed the decision wholeheartedly. Dave Bautista is merely the strongest and most resilient of this group. Bautista is one of the reasons Guardians of the Galaxy, which could have failed so disastrously, works as well as it does. It would be a great loss for Disney in more ways than one if he quit playing Drax, but the consequences of the topic go far beyond a mere contractual obligation.