Dave Bautisa on defending James Gunn after his firing from ‘Guardians’: “My friend…was wronged”

ABC/Randy Holmes(LOS ANGELES) — Guardians of the Galaxy star Dave Bautista is on the promo trail for his action comedy Stuber, and he’s once again speaking his mind about the drama surrounding his Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn.

Then again, the former wrestler was never shy about going to the mat for Gunn: He did so after Marvel Studios’ parent company, Disney, fired Gunn from Guardians 3 last year over some old, offensive tweets.  Bautista also joined the entire cast in writing a letter of support for Gunn.

The writer-director was eventually reinstated earlier this year, though not because of the cast’s efforts.

Bautista tells Entertainment Tonight about his sharply-worded tweets to Disney at the time. “I was like, ‘Fire me. I don’t care. You’re going to hear what I have to say….I think you made a bad call and I don’t care if you fire me because I feel this way.” 

Bautista, who was contractually committed to being in a third Guardians film, reportedly threatened to leave the project and follow Gunn onto the Suicide Squad sequel instead.  The actor explained that the threat was about “me being honest and me sticking up for my friend who was wronged.'” 

Bautista praised Disney’s reversal, saying it proves, “It’s never too late to admit you’re wrong.”

In Stuber, Bautista plays a tough-as-nails L.A. cop who, thanks to laser eye surgery, has to rely on the eyes of his straight-laced Uber driver, played by Kumail Nanjani.

Incidentally, the movie also features his Guardians co-star Karen Gillan, who Bautista calls, “one of his favorite people.”

Stuber opens July 12.

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