"It Wasn't Pleasant at All": Marvel Star Pleased to Leave 'Guardians' Franchise

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is officially beginning a new chapter this year, but one Guardians of the Galaxy star is eager to hang up his superhero role.

Dave Bautista is taking over Hollywood, slowly creeping his way into becoming a leading man in a feature film. From Sam Mendes’ Spectre to Denis Villeneuve’s iconic Blade Runner 2049 (which has spawned a working relationship with Bautista in Dune), retired professional WWE wrestler is making his mark on the tinsel town but realizes that his stint as Drax the Destroyer in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise must come to a close before moving on.

In a recent interview with GQ, Bautista shares:

“I’m so grateful for Drax. I love him. But there’s a relief [that it’s over]. 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.”

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While it’s unclear which Guardians stars are officially wrapping up their superhero careers with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Dave Bautista is already moving on with Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part II starring Timothée Chalamet and fellow Marvel star Zendaya, as well as director M. Night Shyalaman’s upcoming A Knock at the Cabin.

Simply put, Dave Bautista wants to be “a respected actor,” and his recent mark on Hollywood with Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery proves that Bautista is looking far ahead of the Marvel Universe for future roles.

The Marvel star is moving on to bigger and brighter opportunities, but the comic-relief Drax can’t follow Bautista into his next acting chapter. Nonetheless, Bautista appears to be incredibly grateful for his Marvel tenure, especially given the fact that Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), and Rocket the Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) helped make the retired wrestler a household name.

Dave Bautista’s tenure in the Marvel collection of superheroes will be cherished by every Marvel fan, especially those who aren’t ready to see James Gunn’s rag-tag heroes depart from the MCU.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 releases in theaters on May 5, 2023.

Source: GQ