Dave Bautista Says 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' Is "On Hold Indefinitely"

Earlier this month, reports had surfaced that Marvel Studios would be delaying the production of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 following Disney's firing of director James Gunn. However, the reports hadn't been confirmed openly by anyone involved with the project.

That changed this week, as Guardians star Dave Bautista has publicly stated that the film is on hold indefinitely as the search for a new director continues.

During an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show (via NME), Bautista continued to voice his support for Gunn, who was fired for offensive jokes in tweets from nearly 10 years ago.

"I'm not really happy with what they've done with James Gunn," Bautista said on the show. "I don't want to go too much into it, I don't want to make it a political conversation... They are putting the movie off, it's on hold indefinitely… I have an issue, I have a moral and a political issue with what they've done."

As the interview continued, Bautista noted that he's going to continue to stand up for what he believes is right, regardless of the decision that's been made by Disney.

"I have been very vocal about the way I feel and I'm not afraid to admit the way I feel. That's the way I feel", he said.

"I love James. James really changed my life so it's a personal thing too", Bautista admitted. "I struggled, I starved for three years, I could barely get a job. There were a few people who believed in me along the way but James was the one who really changed the course of my life."

The entire cast of Guardians of the Galaxy has been outspoken in their support of Gunn since Disney dismissed him. Last month, the cast released a joint letter online, stating that they supported Gunn, and that they wished for him to be reinstated.

Unfortunately, that didn't have any effect on those in charge, as Disney has stood by its decision to let Gunn go.

Now, with production on Guardians in an indefinite state of uncertainty, it's not likely that the film will arrive in 2020 as planned. It's unclear what movie Marvel Studios will slot in place of the sci-fi blockbuster.

When do you think Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will actually head into production? Let us know your prediction in the comments below.

The Guardians of the Galaxy will next appear in Avengers 4, which is set to arrive in theaters on May 3, 2019.