Dave Bautista Returning To The WWE; What Does This Mean For GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY?
There had been speculation, but it was made official last night that Dave "The Animal" Bautista is returning to the squared circle next month. However, that leads us to wonder what exactly will this mean for Guardians of the Galaxy, a movie which will see the wrestler turned actor plays 'Drax'...
On last night's Raw, a promo aired confirming rumours that Dave Bautista is returning to the WWE next month. According to various sources, he'll be back on a nearly full-time basis, performing on both televised and non-televised live shows. The WWE has always had a good relationship with Marvel, with several of their Superstars often being interviewed on the site and CM Punk even providing a foreword for the Avengers Vs. X-Men hardcover. It seems likely then that we should expect to see James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy heavily promoted on WWE television, just as G.I. Joe: Retaliation - which starred Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson - was earlier this year. The WWE and Paramount Pictures even entered into a promotional partnership to give greater attention to both that movie and Pain & Gain. It's a win-win situation for both parties.
It's thought that Batista will be taking part in high profile storylines from January 20th (a week before the Royal Rumble, so read into that as you will) right through Wrestlemania XXX and beyond, although it's likely he will take some time off around the time that he'll have to do press for Guardians of the Galaxy. So, why should you care? Around 15 million people tune in to watch various WWE programming each and every week, and if the James Gunn helmed movie is being promoted through them, that can only mean good things for a movie which Marvel are going to have to work hard to sell. Airing exclusive TV spots, clips or just mentioning the release will surely have at least a small impact on its box office success, so this news is good for WWE fans and anyone hoping to see the space faring superhero team make more than just the one outing!