Dave Bautista says there’s a sense of “relief” to leaving the role of Drax the Destroyer following Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3.
Bautista doesn’t want the character to be his Hollywood “legacy”. Having taken on less comedic and more nuanced roles since his Marvel debut in 2014, the actor says he’s ready for “more dramatic stuff”.
The former WWE wrestler enjoyed his first big break in the MCU, but he thinks the time is right to move on. ” I’m so grateful for Drax. I love him,” he told GQ. “But there’s a relief [that it’s over]. It wasn’t all pleasant.
Dave Bautista has helped lead the line in ‘Glass Onion’, the ‘Knives Out’ sequel on Netflix. CREDIT: Stefania D’Alessandro/Getty Images
“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.”
As he says Bautista remains incredibly grateful for the chance James Gunn and Marvel Studios took on him. Remembering the moment he clinched the role of Drax, Bautista recalled:
“I had to pull [his car] over because I was crying so hard. I turned right back around and walked into my house shaking to tell my wife I had gotten the role, and we were both standing there freaking out.”
That said, Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 will be Drax’s swan song – and Bautista is a much in-demand actor. He’s currently just helped to headline the Knives Out sequel Glass Onion, and will lead the line in M. Might Shyamalan’s Knock At The Cabin later this year. He will reprise his supporting role Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part 2 in November, presumably ensuring he closes out 2023 with a box office bang.
But, if given the chance, Bautista has one ultimate goal on his CV – being one of Villeneuve’s leading men. “If I could be a number one [on the callsheet] with Denis, I would do it for fucking free,” he says.
“I think that’s how I could find out how good I could be. He brings out the best in me. He sees me in a different light, sees the performer that I want to be. That might be how I solve the puzzle.”
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 is due to hit cinemas on May 5 in the UK.