Dave Bautista has been a part of the MCU for almost a decade (!) after appearing in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy as Drax, the warrior without the ability to understand sarcasm and metaphors. While his character was a fun addition to the universe, Bautista says that his time as Drax has come to an end.
“I’m so grateful for Drax. I love him,” the Glass Onion actor said, before explaining the difficulties of Marvel life. “But there’s a relief. It wasn’t all pleasant. 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.” Bautista will still appear as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 which is set to be released on May 5th of this year.
Bautista isn’t the first Marvel alum to express how difficult it is to be a part of the superhero universe– Zoe Saldana recently mentioned just how fun those 5-hour makeup sessions can be! And the Scarlett Witch herself Elizabeth Olsen has also spoken about how she fears losing roles thanks to her Marvel contract.
It seems like Bautista isn’t losing out on roles anytime soon, though. He will reprise his role in the upcoming Dune sequel, and also has a part in M. Night Shyamalan’s horror film Knock at the Cabin alongside Rupert Grint and Jonathan Groff. If the dramatic stuff doesn’t work, there is always room for more horror movies!