You know the time to stick a fork in Mel Gibson’s U.S. career may be fast approaching when Zach Galifanakis (!) can veto the former superstar’s cameo role as a tattoo artist in “The Hangover, Part II.” According to Page Six, Warner Bros. has acceded to the wishes of Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, “other members of the ensemble cast and many of the crew” who were “outraged” at the participation of the former superstar and complained to Warner Bros.

This despite the fact that Gibson, who once collected as much as $20 million a picture, has starred in a number of lucrative films for Warner, including the “Lethal Weapon” series and “Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.” Earlier this year, Warner distributed “Heart of Darkness,” an independently-produced Gibson vehicle, to mediocre business.

Director Todd Phillips told Page Six in a statement: “I thought Mel would have been great in the movie, and I had the full backing of [Warner Bros. president] Jeff Robinov and his team. But I realize filmmaking is a collaborative effort, and this decision ultimagtely did not have the full support of my entire cast and crew.”

Gibson seems to be only slightly more popular than O.J. Simpson stateside after assault allegations by an ex-girlfriend, who released tapes of the star making racist remarks and threats.

Summit Entertainment apparently wouldn’t let Jodie Foster’s “The Beaver” be shown at any of the fall film festivals, and the film starring Gibson as a disturbed man who finds inner peace with the help of a hand puppet isn’t on the studio’s release schedule.

“How I Spent My Summer Vacation,” also starring Mad Mel, was filmed recently by Gibson’s company Icon Entertainment. The IMDB lists a number of foreign distributors, but none for the U.S.