‘Guardians Of The Galaxy's’ Dave Bautista Might Leave Franchise For ‘Suicide Squad 2’

“Suicide Squad 2” is reportedly featuring a new squad, and director James Gunn wants “Guardians Of The Galaxy” star Dave Bautista on board.

Last year, Bautista cast doubt over his future in “Guardians Of The Galaxy” following Gunn being fired from Marvel Studios and “Vol. 3” by Disney chiefs Bob Iger and Alan Horn. The firing came after the director’s old and inappropriate tweets about rape and pedophilia resurfaced online, causing a stir on social media and fueling a campaign urging Disney and Marvel to sever their relationship with the director.

After playing Drax the Destroyer in the first two films in the comic book franchise, Bautista, being one of the loudest and staunchest supporters of Gunn, told the press that if “Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3” would not use Gunn’s script, he’d rather be released from his contract. He even described the campaign against Gunn as “nauseating.”

Now that Gunn has found himself a new franchise, sources claim that he would like to reward Bautista for his unwavering loyalty by tapping him for the role of Peacemaker in “Suicide Squad 2.” In the comics, Peacemaker is an agent of peace driven by an extremist form of pacifism. He loves peace so much that he would kill for it.

With Marvel confirming back in February that “Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3” would still use Gunn’s script, it remains to be seen if Bautista would stick to the franchise without Gunn at the helm or jump ship. But if he accepts Gunn’s offer, it won’t come as a surprise. When news about Gunn pulling double duty for the “Suicide Squad” sequel surfaced, Bautista immediately took to Twitter to suggest his interest in following Gunn. Retweeting a report about Gunn’s new gig, the actor wrote, “Where do I sign up???”

If Dave Bautista hops over from Marvel and Disney’s “Guardians Of The Galaxy” to DC and Warner Bros’ “Suicide Squad,” he won’t be the first actor to move between rival superhero studios. Previously, Tom Hardy played the villain in DC’s “The Dark Knight Rises” before joining Marvel’s “Venom.” Halle Berry also played DC’s Catwoman before heading to Marvel’s “X-Men.”

Meanwhile, sources also claim that aside from Peacemaker, the other new characters to join the sequel are Ratcatcher, King Shark and Polka Dot Man. Earlier this week, Marvel Studios confirmed that Idris Elba is replacing Will Smith as Deadshot and will play a father figure to Ratcatcher.

“Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3” and “Suicide Squad 2” will hit theaters in 2020 and 2021, respectively.