GOTG Vol. 3 Star Dave Bautista Says He'll Never Return As Drax And Tarnish A "Perfect Exit"

GOTG Vol. 3 Star Dave Bautista Says He'll Never Return As Drax And Tarnish A "Perfect Exit"

Dave Bautista recently confirmed that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will mark his final time playing Drax, and the Knock At the Cabin actor has now explained why he will never reprise the role...

By MarkCassidy - Feb 02, 2023 08:02 AM EST

Though we figured as much based on past comments from the actor, Dave Bautista recently confirmed that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will indeed mark his final time playing Drax.

The Glass Onion star has never been shy about discussing some of the negative aspects of playing the character, and has previously expressed some dissatisfaction with the more comedic direction Drax has been taken in over the years.

While chatting to Jimmy Fallon about his new movie, Knock at The Cabin, Bautista once again made it very clear that Vol. 3 will serve as a send-off for the team's resident powerhouse.

"It’s hard, but it’s time, and it’s the perfect exit," he confirmed. "We all had those perfect kind of character arcs and such a storybook ending. I constantly relate it to the way I finished my wrestling career, I ended it on a storybook note and I would never go back and tarnish that, and it’s the same with this, with Drax. I just got to end it in a perfect way, and I would never sign up for another job as Drax just to get a pay cheque... I wouldn’t tarnish that, and I won’t do it."

Could this "storybook ending" involve Drax's demise, perhaps?

The Destroyer looks to be in pretty bad shape in the recent trailer, but then again, so do quite a few members of the team! If one of the Guardians is going to be killed-off, fans seem to feel that Drax or Rocket are the most likely candidates.

Will you be sad to see the last of Drax in the MCU? Drop us a comment down below.

In Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, our beloved band of misfits are looking a bit different these days. Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him to defend the universe along with protecting one of their own. A mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.

James Gunn writes and directs Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, featuring Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Will Poulter and Maria Bakalova.

Kevin Feige is the producer and Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Nikolas Korda, Simon Hatt and Sara Smith serve as executive producers.

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Matchesz
Matchesz - 2/2/2023, 8:31 AM
“Hahahahahahahahahaha” *dies* 🪦
Matchesz
Matchesz - 2/2/2023, 8:32 AM
In all honestly this feels like a middle fibger to the Marvel sniper agents in honor of Gunn. (He was pissed and ready to quit when Gunn was fired)
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 2/2/2023, 8:47 AM
@Matchesz - I don't really take this as a middle finger.

If anything, I think he's genuine here. Think he cares for the character because Gunn wrote the character, and that's why he doesn't want to return for just another pay cheque.
Variant
Variant - 2/2/2023, 10:03 AM
@bkmeijer1 - &Matchesz - He's definitely genuine here. I'm not sure why people are always so quick to turn to malice. Sensationalism I guess...

At any rate, Bautista seems to be a great person in general. He's been very expressive about his experience with Drax and it's all mostly good. His only gripes were the firing of James Gunn--which Marvel Studios HAD to do as a formality (knowing they'd rehire him after the dust settled). I mean, he clearly worked things out with the studio to appear in Thor 4, Xmas special, and GotG Vol.3. And the other bit was makeup. Hours and hours everyday...it's understandable he doesn't want to do that forever. Beyond this, he's been positive and grateful for the experience.

Also, there's a good chance he doesn't die. "Send-off" doesn't necessarily mean "death". In fact, it sounds more like he retires after a lifelong pursuit of something. Perhaps something relating to his wife and daughter. And of course the easy thing to think is, "reunited with them in the afterlife." But the fact he mentions "not returning for a pay check", leaves it open that the option would be there otherwise.

This should honestly be how Marvel handles sunsetting characters. We don't always have to kill someone to make sense of them not showing up in future stories. Abomination is an excellent example of this. Red Skull...kind of. Ultron has the potential to be. And who knows about Steve Rogers...technically he's still alive.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 2/2/2023, 10:57 AM
@Variant - I do hope Drax gets a nice sunset (maybe with Mantis as his surrogate daughter), but knowing Gunn he's gonna make it emotional
ReverseFlasher
ReverseFlasher - 2/2/2023, 8:33 AM
But you will spoil the ending repeatedly in press rounds for a different film… thanks much draxhole
JoJo1982
JoJo1982 - 2/2/2023, 12:01 PM
@ReverseFlasher - but he didn’t spoil anything, other than saying he’s done playing a character
UnderBelly
UnderBelly - 2/2/2023, 8:35 AM
Oh, he's dead DEAD.
HulkisHoly
HulkisHoly - 2/2/2023, 8:38 AM
Sounds like he’s dying and the story book part is he’ll see his daughter/wife in the afterlife
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 2/2/2023, 8:45 AM
''I constantly relate it to the way I finished my wrestling career''

So Drax is gonna become an actor?

Kidding aside, it would be sweet if he get's an ending with Mantis, but I don't expect Drax, Nebula, Rocket or Quill to make it out alive.
TheRose
TheRose - 2/2/2023, 8:52 AM
@bkmeijer1 -
Reeds2Much
Reeds2Much - 2/2/2023, 9:17 AM
@bkmeijer1 - Musician.
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 2/2/2023, 10:20 AM
@bkmeijer1 - His wrestling career was probably a weird comparison lol. He retired for years. Became an actor. Then came back for another match against Triple H a couple years ago.

So, in a way he did return and tarnish his wrestling career. Because when he came back he was rusty as hell and even tripped just getting in the ring.
RedFury
RedFury - 2/2/2023, 12:20 PM
@bkmeijer1 - I'm with you, I really hope Gunn doesn't do his typical thing and kill off a character to create emotional impact. He's done it twice with good effect already in the franchise, so I'm hoping he does something new that pulls on our heartstrings in a different way.

I've never been a big fan of using death to create drama. But I also trust in Gunn, so I'm sure whatever happens will work.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 2/2/2023, 2:26 PM
@RedFury - I would be nice if Drax just gets to ride into the sunset, but knowing Gunn it'll most likely end in death
CplHicks
CplHicks - 2/2/2023, 8:46 AM
I've always found it puzzling how he hates(justifiably) the way Drax was turned into comedy relief but in undyingly loyal to the guy who wrote him that way. He misplaces his anger at the studio like they give Gunn orders to do so.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 2/2/2023, 8:50 AM
@CplHicks - maybe it is the case they give Gunn the order to do so.

Doubt that's the case though. I think Bautista was mostly angry with Marvel because how they handled the Drax & Thanos storyline.
Matchesz
Matchesz - 2/2/2023, 8:53 AM
@bkmeijer1 - I wouldnt put it past Disney at all if they asked Gunn to water down Drax.. Drax’s main weapojs are a couple of huge knives afterall… cant have Drax go slashy slashy in a kids film.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 2/2/2023, 9:03 AM
@Matchesz - could be. Without those knives, Drax did feel a whole lot less like 'the Destroyer' and more just Drax
FilmGuy7878
FilmGuy7878 - 2/2/2023, 9:28 AM
@Matchesz - Disney's gotta let go of their "family friendly" ideals in terms of Marvel. I mean Thanos literally ripped Iron Man in half, Kitty Pryde was impregnated by an alien, the Lizard eats his own son, some messed up and gruesome shit happens in the Marvel Universe and the sooner the Mouse realizes that, the less problem they will have marketing these films to older audiences. That's just my view on the matter at least.
JoeInTheBox
JoeInTheBox - 2/2/2023, 10:13 AM
@CplHicks - Or maybe he's angry at the direction the studio took the character? Remember, Gunn writes the scripts, but he doesn't control the direction the franchise ultimately takes these characters.
AmazingFILMporg
AmazingFILMporg - 2/2/2023, 11:58 AM
@Matchesz -


Judging by how terrible some peacemaker writing was and the awful dialogue it was all Gunn. He writes them goofy💁
BARBER23
BARBER23 - 2/2/2023, 1:59 PM
@FilmGuy7878 - you serious? These films will never be marketed for solely adults. Even the R rated stuff will never be the same as a comic book. Kids, toys, etc will always do the big numbers in their eyes, which is true. To think that all the shit you just listed will ever be seen, or even should be seen is not happening. And thank God.
Corruptor
Corruptor - 2/2/2023, 2:09 PM
@bkmeijer1 - The real Drax had cosmic level energy blasts, didn't need knives, good opportunity now to kill him off and do his resurrection with a different look and different actor.

Kronos know Thanos is coming back, he will need his Destroyer to hand.
FilmGuy7878
FilmGuy7878 - 2/2/2023, 2:10 PM
@BARBER23 - Well sadly that's the truth. Merchandise will sell, gore doesn't, which makes sense.

Just saying, some kiddy gloves need to be taken off. The days when the MCU was produced by Paramount aka Phase One could get away with more risqué jokes and more intense violence because they weren't hovered over by the Mouse. Like Hulk's design in The Incredible Hulk was the best and most threating live-action design he's ever had then after The Avengers, he got progressively less threating looking.

Basically, I miss Phase One. Make Phase 5 more like Phase One.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 2/2/2023, 2:27 PM
@Corruptor - wait, when did Kronos enter the fold? In the MCU I mean
BARBER23
BARBER23 - 2/3/2023, 1:27 PM
@FilmGuy7878 - I think Hulks best look ever was in the first 2 Avengers movies. Incredible Hulk wasn’t bad, I just felt he was too shredded all the time. However, I’d take that look over the Professor Hulk garbage anytime. All that Hulk is, is for Ruffalo to be seen more on screen.💈
Corruptor
Corruptor - 2/6/2023, 9:09 AM
@bkmeijer1 - Well he didn't, but he should have done. Or I don't think he did, there are characters we've had who were unrecognisable or skimmed over that I didn't know we'd had them yet.
But still, it's a way to kill and resurrect Drax with a different actor. it solves the actor problem, the character's origin problem all at once. Of course it also involves Thanos returning....
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 2/6/2023, 9:45 AM
@Corruptor - if that means we'll also get Moondragon, then I'm definitely in favor of that
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