Dave Bautista just announced that he will be leaving the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in which he will make his final appearance as Drax the Destroyer — a character he has played for over a decade.
Although has always been praised for his role as Drax, Dave Bautista has also publicly acknowledged his dissatisfaction with the character.
In 2021, he told Collider that Marvel “dropped the ball” when it came to bringing Drax to life on the big screen, and recently told GQ magazine,
I’m very grateful for Drax, I love him. But there’s a sense of relief that it’s finished. It wasn’t all pleasant. It was difficult to perform the part. The cosmetics process was exhausting. And I’m not sure I want Drax to be my legacy — it’s a ridiculous performance, and I want to do more tragic work.
Variety reported that when it comes to developing his post-Marvel acting career, Dave Bautista believes that his other 2023 film projects are a step in the right direction. He will have his most significant speaking part to date in M. Night Shyamalan’s Knock at the Cabin (releasing on 3 February), as well as a larger role in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune sequel.
After Blade Runner 2049 (2017) and Dune (2021), the second installment of Dune will be Dave Bautista’s third Villeneuve film. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will reportedly hit theaters in the US on 5 May.
Variety quoted the wrestler-turned-actor as saying,
I really wished they would have invested more in Drax, personally. Because I think Drax has more of a story to tell. I think Drax has a really interesting backstory, which they dropped the ball on. That’s no dig on Marvel.
He added,
If Marvel had explored the character more fully, it would have given me the opportunity to show different sides of Drax, emotionally. And physically as well.
Dave Bautista, who is a native of Washington D.C., was a 30-year-old bouncer when he took up professional wrestling as a career, which led him to become one of the WWE’s biggest stars besides John Cena.
However, while the latter Cena was allowed to star in movies alongside wrestling, Dave Bautista was prohibited from doing so and left the WWE in 2010. He featured in minor roles in The Scorpion King 3, The Man With the Iron Fists, and Riddick before getting his breakthrough role in Guardians of the Galaxy as Drax the Destroyer, which he now regards as a “silly performance”.
