When the news broke that Guardians of the Galaxy helmsman James Gunn has been hired to write and possibly direct DC’s Suicide Squad 2, the first online response from Gunn’s former collaborator Dave Bautista was to ask how he could get involved. As it turns out, much of the internet was thinking the same thing.
According to a subsequent report, the next Suicide Squad will not be a straightforward sequel to the 2016 film but will instead offer a new take on the team. Whether or not this means a complete recasting remains to be seen, but the possibility has been enough to get fans fantasizing. And after Disney’s controversial decision to drop Gunn from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, some Twitter users are suggesting that one Guardian in particular should be making the migration to the DCEU.
https://twitter.com/leiasskywalkers/status/1049741880513191938?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1049741880513191938&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fdc%2F2018%2F10%2F09%2Fsuicide-squad-2-james-gunn-dave-bautista-react%2F
Just waiting to hear the first person cast in Gunn's Suicide Squad is Dave Bautista.
— Ashley Lynch ✂️🎞️ (@ashleylynch) October 9, 2018
https://twitter.com/seIinabruce/status/1049735895048437760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1049735895048437760&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fdc%2F2018%2F10%2F09%2Fsuicide-squad-2-james-gunn-dave-bautista-react%2F
https://twitter.com/Zenrotto/status/1049746254526390280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1049746254526390280&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fdc%2F2018%2F10%2F09%2Fsuicide-squad-2-james-gunn-dave-bautista-react%2F
Why does seeing this give me the feeling that Bautista’s Drax is gonna end up getting killed off & then Bautista’s gonna go & join suicide squad https://t.co/o88e4uf93Z
— angel (@expt624) October 9, 2018
Dave Bautista as Slipknot's long lost cousin in Suicide Squad 2 pls pic.twitter.com/hLOhIhtvFo
— Hames (@jeymez) October 9, 2018
Anyways, can’t wait for Dave Bautista to be cast as KGBeast or King Shark for Suicide Squad 2
— Justin Carter (@GigawattConduit) October 9, 2018
Not sure what Dave Bautista’s Marvel Studios contract allows, but we should expect him to join James Gunn for the #SuicideSquad sequel, right? https://t.co/a2NqgGDREA
— Bill Kuchman (@billkuchman) October 9, 2018
Dave Bautista to play Bane in Suicide Squad 2.
Do it, Gunn.
Stick it to Disney.
— BY2K 🇨🇦 (@TheBY2K) October 9, 2018
https://twitter.com/augustwalkers/status/1049746247916118016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1049746247916118016&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fdc%2F2018%2F10%2F09%2Fsuicide-squad-2-james-gunn-dave-bautista-react%2F
Of course, not everyone has responded so well to the news that Gunn has joined the DC camp, with some Twitter users expressing their outrage that Warner would hire the filmmaker now that his offensive social media history has come to light. It’s clear, however, the Bautista is not among these detractors, with the Drax performer proving to be a consistently outspoken critic of Disney’s decision.
As it stands, Guardians Vol. 3 is on hold, and though reports suggest that the studio still plans to push on with the project, they may have to do so without Bautista, who stated just last month that he’s not sure if he wants to work for them anymore.
For now, we keenly await further news on what form Suicide Squad 2 will take and who’ll be in it. In the meantime, you can catch Drax in Avengers 4 from May 3rd, 2019, and if Bautista’s recent comments are anything to go by, this could be the character’s final outing in the MCU.