Dave Bautista Reveals the Only Way He Would Play Drax Again
In the lead-up to the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3., Dave Bautista made it clear that the film would be his last adventure as Drax.
As a quick recap, Bautista made his Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) debut as the loveable Drax the Destroyer in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1. With his penchant for violence and comedic timing, Drax quickly became a fan-favorite character and a beloved member of the Guardians.
After reprising his role as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Thor: Love and Thunder, Guardians 3, and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, however, Bautista began to believe that the character had run its course.
Photo: Marvel
“It wasn’t all pleasant,” he explained in 2023. “It was hard playing that role. The makeup process was beating me down. And I just don’t know if I want Drax to be my legacy — it’s a silly performance, and I want to do more dramatic stuff.”
The Only Way Bautista Would Play Drax Again
While Bautista has remained steadfast that he is done playing Drax, there is one condition under which he would return.
Photo: Handout/Getty Images
“Drax is completely closed to me. Unless James Gunn called me and asked if I would do something as Drax again, I just wouldn’t be interested,” Bautista told ComicBook. “If James called me, which obviously is not gonna happen. He’s doing okay, he’s gone a different route,” he added, referencing Gunn’s current position with DC.
The Actor Would Return to Marvel (But There’s a Catch)
While his time in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise is over, Bautista is not ruling out returning to the MCU as a different character.
Photo: India Times
“But I do wanna be in that world, I’m a fan of that world, I’m a fan of comic books and that whole universe,” Bautista continued.
“Marvel, DC, I just wanna be in it. I made that known to James, I made that known to the Russo brothers. Personally, I talked to them, all of them, and told them, ‘Don’t count me out. If there’s a character that I’d be right for and that you want me for, man, I’d be totally open-minded to it.’ It’s just the Drax character ran its course.”
Although the idea of Bautista playing another character in the MCU remains far-fetched, as Robert Downey Jr. recently proved, anything is possible.
Photo: BBC
Perhaps, then, we haven’t seen the last of Bautista in the Marvel universe.
