Over the past year or so, James Gunn's Tweets have been less about superhero movies and more about politics. As a result, some right-wing activists dug through his account on the social media platform and found jokes about rape and paedophilia which may have been acceptable at the time but are now considered an absolute no-go and Disney wasted no time in firing the director just hours later.
Since then, the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 cast has wasted no time in sharing their support for the filmmaker, going so far as to release an open letter in which they made it clear they stand by Gunn and want to see him reinstated. However, with Variety recently reporting that it's highly unlikely Disney will give him another chance, the signs are now pointing to their cries ultimately falling on deaf ears.
Now, we're taking a look at each main Guardians of the Galaxy cast member in order to figure out whether or not they'll stick around after appearing in Vol. 3 (a movie they're contractually obliged to appear in) and with Dave Bautista saying future movies won't be Guardians of the Galaxy without James Gunn, it's going to be very interesting finding out whether or not everyone else feels the same.
So, to take a look at this breakdown, all you guys have to do is click on the "View List" button below.
Chris Pratt (Star-Lord)
Chris Pratt is close friends with James Gunn and while he hasn't been as outspoken as Dave Bautista, it's clear that he stands behind the filmmaker. He's more than likely contractually obliged to star in Vol. 3 (as is every other cast member) but he can survive without the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially as he has Cowboy Ninja Viking on the way and remains the face of the Jurassic World franchise.
However, Pratt must know that sticking around as Star-Lord will mean he could end up being the next Robert Downey Jr. given time and he'll be walking away from both a leading role in a popular franchise and an awful lot of money. As a result, while I fully expect the actor to continue supporting the director, common sense may ultimately win the day and he'll choose not to hang up his mask just yet.
Zoe Saldana (Gamora)
As of right now, Gamora is dead (following her demise at the hands of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War) and may not end up returning in Vol. 3. However, common sense says that Zoe Saldana will be back for the threequel and while she initially chose her words carefully, it's now clear she supports Gunn.
Like Pratt, Saldana doesn't necessarily need the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise - she's currently working on those long-delayed Avatar sequels - but it's hard to imagine her choosing to walk away. I could see this one going either way so there's no guarantee that Gamora will be sticking around.
Dave Bautista (Drax)
So, yeah, the chances of this former WWE Superstar sticking around beyond Vol. 3 are clearly somewhere between slim and none. Last night, he made it clear that he will only appear in the threequel due to contractual obligations and he clearly doesn't intend on giving it his all there as he hasn't shied away from saying that a Guardians of the Galaxy movie without Gunn just isn't the same.
Despite not having a massive amount of success outside of the MCU (Bautista has landed a lot of supporting roles but nothing major), it appears as if he's so angry about the situation that he will happily walk away from playing Drax and the remarks he's made about Disney probably don't sit well with the studio. With that in mind, don't be shocked if he manages to get out of starring in Vol. 3!
Bradley Cooper (Rocket Raccoon)
As great as Cooper is as Rocket, he doesn't actually record his lines until after shooting concludes and while he put his name to that open letter, it's not as if he works as closely with Gunn as the rest of the cast. While I'm sure the actor was genuine in being part of releasing that statement, you have to remember that the Guardians of the Galaxy movies are easy money for Cooper (he rarely even has to take part in press tours and the like) and he would be foolish to walk away purely out of principal.
With that in mind, I expect to see Cooper continue to play Rocket despite behind the scenes changes.
Vin Diesel (Groot)
Outside of the Fast and Furious franchise (where he's being put on the back burner in preference of Dwayne Johnson, hence why Hobbs and Shaw is now a priority), Vin Diesel mostly stars in B-Movie rubbish, so leaving the Marvel Cinematic Universe behind probably wouldn't be the smartest move for him, especially as he's getting paid to stand in a recording booth and say, "I Am Groot" over and over.
He appears to get on extremely well with Gunn but seeing as he's used to a revolving door of directors with the Fast and Furious movies, I think Diesel will cope with the change and continue to play a character even more beloved than Dom Toretto. He also probably realises that he's easily replaced!
Karen Gillan (Nebula)
It's hard to say whether or not Nebula's story will continue beyond Avengers 4 but Karen Gillan's star is very much on the rise within the MCU and there's still a lot that can be done with the character. The Scottish actress hasn't said much about this situation but she would be silly to walk away now, especially as cutting ties with Disney could seriously impede her journey to becoming a true A-Lister.
Pom Klementieff (Mantis)
Pom Klementieff joined the MCU when she signed up to star in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and with a multi-picture deal, she's not going anywhere for a very long time. She could do a Natalie Portman and choose not to fulfil her obligations but that would be crazy, especially as Marvel Studios have helped put her on the map. As a franchise newcomer, I don't actually see the actress choosing to leave yet.
Sylvester Stallone (Stakar)
I'm not sure what sort of deal Stallone has with Marvel Studios and Disney but regardless of how many nice things he's said about Gunn, he hasn't come to the filmmaker's defence on Twitter and is highly unlikely to turn down the money offered to return as the leader of the Ravagers (we are talking about the guy who starred in three Expendables movies). So, yeah, he's definitely coming back for Vol. 3.
Sean Gunn (Kraglin/Rocket Raccoon)
Chances are that Sean Gunn is also contractually obliged to appear in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 but will Disney really force James' brother to return to work after everything that's happened? He'll definitely be missed on set playing Rocket but I can't imagine he'll want to return and it's not like Kraglin will be missed that much. As a result, this Gunn is probably also finished with the MCU.
What do you think the future holds in store for the Guardians of the Galaxy cast following James Gunn's firing? As always, be sure to let us know your thoughts on that in the comments section.
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