Earlier this week Drax actor Dave Bautista claimed he'd ask to be removed from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 if Disney opted to not use ousted director James Gunn's script. It appears Disney is attempting to call his bluff. While unfortunate, this shouldn't come as any surprise. First, it would be awkward to give Gunn writer credits on a movie Disney deemed him unworthy to direct. Second, and perhaps most importantly, it would be a nightmare to mitigate with the various guilds and unions, a hassle Disney clearly doesn't want to deal with.

Abandoning the script does lend credence to our story about production being delayed. Without a script in place, it would be next to impossible to hit the expected 2020 release date. I'd expect Disney to take their time finding a new writer and director, and assume we won't see the Guardians on screen again, after Avengers 4, until at least 2022.

One the one caveat to this is the source, Christopher Marc, who while reliable, is not a trade publication. Until Disney releases a statement there is hope, but that flame is quickly going out.

UPDATE: According to a new report from The Hollywood Reporter, Disney will use Gunn's script for the film.