Dave Bautista’s Drax has long been one of the most endearing of the MCU characters — a hulk with a heart of gold and a delightfully literal sense of the world. But you might not see him for much longer. The wrestler-turned-actor recently revealed that the delayed but forthcoming third Guardians of the Galaxy romp might — or might not! — be his last ride with the character.
In an interview with Digital Spy, Bautista discussed the production headaches that have befallen the Marvel Cinematic Universe, particularly the wing in which he resides. First there was some online controversy with writer-director James Gunn, which saw him briefly thrown off the series. By the time he came back he’d also wound up with another comic book movie gig: helming the semi-sequel The Suicide Squad. Then there was the pandemic, which all but shuttered the industry. Guardians Vol. 3 is slated for two years from now, on May 23, 2023, but Bautista says things are still up in the air.
“I don’t know what the script of the third film is, to be honest with you,” Bautista told the publication. “There was a script years ago that obviously is going to have to change because the whole direction of the Marvel universe has changed.”
He’s so unsure of what’s in store that he can’t say with any certainty that he’ll be playing Drax afterwards:
“There were talks for a while about a Drax and Mantis film … It was really because it was James Gunn’s idea. He really wanted to do a Drax and Mantis film. He laid it out to me. I thought it was such a brilliant idea, but I haven’t heard any follow-up from the studio. I don’t think they’re very interested, or it doesn’t fit into the way they have things mapped out. But other than that, no. I mean, as far as my obligations, I’ve got Guardians 3, and that’s probably going to be the end of Drax.”
Again, nothing is certain, especially not now, but if you think he could always do some TV series, as is the style now, think again: He recently told JoBlo that there’s “not a chance in hell” he’d do one of those Marvel shows. So enjoy him while he lasts.