James Gunn recently took to social media to confirm that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 had wrapped shooting just weeks after The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. Remember, the filmmaker has said on multiple occasions that this movie marks the end of an era for the current iteration of the team, and that has to mean we'll be saying goodbye to some beloved characters.
Will Drax be among them? Dave Bautista has talked openly about his dissatisfaction with his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe a lot in recent years, saying "the shirtless thing is getting harder" and revealing he feels "[Drax]'s journey has come full circle and I'm just ready to kind of step aside and wrap it up." The actor has even gone so far as to saying Marvel Studios has mishandled the character, expressing a desire to have been used as more than just a comedic presence in that world.
Sharing the same wrap photo as Gunn, Bautista said on Instagram that the threequel marks "[the] end of a journey that changed my life." Sounds pretty definitive, don't you think?
No one expected much from the pro wrestler turned actor when he was cast in Guardians of the Galaxy, but he delivered a standout performance with a lot of humour at its core. As a result, Drax's quest to take revenge on Thanos for what happened to his wife and daughter was sidelined for a light-hearted friendship with Mantis and a lot of, admittedly, very funny scenes in Avengers: Infinity War.
If this is it for Drax, we're hoping Bautista can go out on a high with a stronger story arc. We'll find out when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 arrives in theaters worldwide on May 5, 2023.