Dave Bautista, who has been playing the role of Drax the Destroyer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, previously announced that he’ll be retiring from the role after completion of James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Recently, while appearing on The Ellen Show, Dave shed some light on his decision and how he was overwhelmed with such a huge fan response over his call to part ways from the Guardians.
Dave Bautista addressed how his old age and the shirtless sequences he shoots due to the fact that his character requires to remain without any upper body clothing (Drax has sensitive nipples) are some of the reasons he is finding it difficult to play the character. Bautista previously joked about “becoming saggy” in a Twitter post, where he responded to fans not being aligned to his decision. However, it turns out it wasn’t a joke. Speaking to Ellen on her show, he emphasized that fact.
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“I am going to be 54 years old by the time 3′ [GOTG Vol. 3] comes out, and the shirtless thing is getting harder and harder for me; [and] the journey has come full circle and I’m just ready to kind of step aside and wrap it up.”
Drax is a bulky, and physically brutal character to portray. Despite his wicked and unknowingly nonsensical humour that makes him comedic and admirable, he is supposed to have a strong physique and personality. Since Drax has to be without a shirt entirely, it puts pressure on Bautista to train accordingly for the character to look appealing. It’s obvious that given his age, that kind of training and commitment comes with hardened difficulties, and hence, the reason seems more logical if you look that way.
Besides citing this reason, Dave Bautista also expressed his surprise over fans’ response upon hearing news of him stepping down from Guardians of the Galaxy after Vol. 3. Evidently, he was not accepting such a huge fan reaction and was probably unaware of his following and people’s love for the character.
“I figured everybody assumed that this is how this works.”
Dave Bautista began playing Drax in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. His performance as Drax in Vol. 2 put him in fans’ limelight for he was loved for his funny and at the same time, ridiculously impish nature, which lead him to be strangely outspoken and frank when it comes to expressing his feelings and opinions. Drax later reprised his role in ensemble Avengers: Infinity War and reappeared in its sequel Avengers: Endgame.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 would not just be Bautista’s last appearance in the MCU but would probably be the last outing for James Gunn in directorial duties of the series. Bautista also cited James Gunn’s departure from the franchise after his intended vision towards the characters and Guardians’ story is complete. He said,
“We work in trilogies, and James Gunn has already announced that it’s his last film, and when James is done, I’m done.”
Dave Bautista would be missed by fans after his departure from the role. However, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 won’t be his only outing in the MCU. Dave Bautista is set to appear in Thor: Love and Thunder along with the rest of the Guardians’ teammates and would also reprise his role in Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which James Gunn would direct.
Currently, Dave Bautista is enjoying an early positive response towards his next Army of the Dead. Bautista will also appear as part of the ensemble in Dennis Villeneuve’s Dune. He has also been cast in Knives Out 2 alongside Daniel Craig and Edward Norton.
Recently, Bautista advocated to play Bane, the famous DC Comics villain and Batman’s nemesis. He confirmed that he had pitched an idea to Warner Bros. which the studio rejected. However, he still believes in his intended version of the character previously played by Tom Hardy in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises. Though there isn’t any hope to see him slide into DC’s superhero lore, fans would certainly want his wish to come true. This news originated at ScreenRant.
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