Hot off the overwhelming critical success that was Glass Onion, pro wrestler turned actor Dave Bautista sat down with GQ to talk about his decade-long stint as a bouncer, how that led to his WWE career, and how he eventually became a household name in the world of acting. However, there was one big part of the interview that Marvel fans may be disappointed to hear.
It seems like Bautista may not be returning to the MCU following his appearance as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. As Discussing Film pointed out on Twitter, the actor said, “I’m so grateful for Drax. I love him… I just don’t know if I want Draw to be my legacy – it’s a silly performance, and I want to do more dramatic stuff.”
The GQ piece also mentions Bautista’s appearance as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as his “farewell” to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While there has been no official word from Bautista, James Gunn, or anyone else at Marvel Studios, this interview certainly seems like the actor and possibly Drax himself is on the way out.
It’s also worth mentioning that Bautista threatened that he would pull out of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 if Marvel Studios didn’t bring back Gunn to direct the film. Of course, he returned for this film and the Holiday Special, but now that Gunn is working exclusively with DC, this could be yet another indication that Bautista will be moving on from Drax and the MCU.
Of course, none of this should be taken as a complete certainty, but the writing has been on the wall for a few years now. It would not at all be surprising to see Bautista walk away from the MCU this year.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to hit theaters in just a few months on May 5, 2023.