Did Zach Galifianakis Take Away Mel Gibson's Hangover?

Thanks to a cryptic reference to on-set troubles last week, the funnyman is bearing the brunt of the blame (or pats on the back) over Mel's casting ousting

Let's just say you'll probably never see Mel Gibson between two ferns.

Yesterday, Hangover 2 director Todd Phillips released a not-that-cryptic statement explaining that while he was more than happy to have the actor with the poison reputation make a cameo in the blockbuster sequel, some of his on-set cohorts weren't.

And now it looks like we know exactly who to point the finger at (or, really, send a few muffin baskets and ribbon for greatest use of common sense to)…

Zach Galifianakis!

While sources are tripping over themselves to say that the whole cast—Justin Bartha and Ed Helms, though maybe not Bradley Cooper—were opposed to the casting coup, it's Galifianakis who's drawn the most blame thanks after going on record last week about his displeasure over the way the production was headed.

(Though apparently the gang had no such problems the first time around when Phillips cast that pillar of morality, Mike Tyson.)

You don't have to be Dan Brown to crack this code:

"A movie you're acting in, you don't have a lot of control—you just show up and vomit your lines out," he said in a Comedy Death-Ray podcast last week.

"I'm not the boss. I'm in a deep protest right now with a movie I'm working on, up in arms about something. But I can't get the guys to [listen]…I'm not making any leeway."

Apparently, he did, along with some help from his disgruntled band of brothers.

"It has something to do with a movie I'm working on, yeah," he said when pressed. "I'll tell you about it later. It's very frustrating."

So…not the most loved man in show business after all, then?