Dave Bautista Reveals More Reasons He Chose Army of the Dead Over Suicide Squad 2

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Actor Dave Bautista explains in depth why he chose to star in Army of the Dead over reuniting with his Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn for The Suicide Squad. Bautista is taking on the lead role in Zack Snyder's upcoming zombie epic. He stars as Scott Ward, the leader of the group of mercenaries who will go into the Nevada desert to steal millions of dollars from a Las Vegas casino. Along for the ride is Scott's estranged daughter Kate, played by Ella Purnell in the film.

Gunn, who Bautista has formed a strong bond with while working in the MCU, offered to bring the actor onboard for his hybrid reboot-sequel The Suicide Squad. It was a tough decision to make - Bautista was an outspoken supporter of the director when Disney fired him from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, going so far as to suggest he might break his contract with the studio if they threw away Gunn's script for the film. Disney eventually opted to re-hire Gunn for his third and final Guardians of the Galaxy film, but he was set to finish The Suicide Squad first. Bautista and Gunn weren't meant to reunite just yet, though.

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Bautista tells DigitalSpy that it was a hard decision, but he ultimately turned down a role in The Suicide Squad for a few reasons. First, the actor says he has always wanted to work with both Netflix and Snyder, so Army of the Dead is a "killing two birds with one stone" situation in that regard. Bautista also reveals that, while he would have loved to work with Gunn on the film, Army of the Dead ultimately was the better opportunity, with a lead role and a higher payday for the actor. Gunn totally understood Bautista's reasoning, though. The actor explains that the director was proud Bautista had these decisions to make in the first place.

I get to build a relationship with Netflix, I get a lead role in a great film — and I get paid a lot more money. I had to call James, and I told him, ‘It breaks my heart, because as a friend, I want to be there with you, but professionally, this is the smart decision for me.’ [Gunn] said, ‘I completely get it. I’m proud of you that you’re even in this position. I’m proud that I had something to do with you being in this position where you have to make these hard decisions.’

The fact that Gunn and Bautista will eventually reunite to shoot Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 also likely helped the actor make the decision. Seeing as the third Guardians film may be Drax's last, Bautista saved the emotional project for later. Army of the Dead will also present him with plenty of opportunities at Netflix should all things go well with the film's debut. At this point, there's no reason they shouldn't either.

Snyder has a legion of dedicated fans that are eagerly awaiting the release of the film. On top of that, Army of the Dead is maybe the most high-profile blockbuster film to hit the streamer this summer, bringing the theatrical experience to people's living rooms. While it would have been a treat to see what Gunn had in store for Bautista in The Suicide Squad, Army of the Dead will allow the actor to flex his acting chops in different ways, exploring the emotional dynamics between Scott Ward and his daughter. All of this against the backdrop of a full blown zombie war-zone will make for an exciting film and fans still have the Drax's final hurrah to look forward to down the line.