Former WWE star Dave Bautista, known to wrestling fans as Batista, skyrocketed to Hollywood stardom after making his Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) debut as Drax the Destroyer in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). His role as the fan-favorite character helped launch his acting career, leading to appearances in multiple MCU films, including Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Thor: Love & Thunder.
After bidding farewell to the role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Bautista has officially ruled out returning as Drax—unless one specific person asks him.
In a recent interview with Variety, Bautista made it clear that he has no plans to reprise the role, except under one condition:
“Drax is completely closed to me,” Bautista said. “Unless James Gunn called me and asked if I would do something as Drax again, I just wouldn’t be interested. If James called me, which obviously is not gonna happen. He’s doing okay, he’s gone a different route [with DC].”
Despite moving on from Drax, Bautista isn’t done with comic book movies.
While Drax may be in the past, Bautista remains open to returning to the superhero genre—whether in Marvel or DC.
“But I do wanna be in that world. I’m a fan of that world. I’m a fan of comic books and that whole universe. Marvel, DC, I just wanna be in it. I made that known to James, I made that known to the Russo Brothers. Personally, I talked to them, all of them, and told them, ‘Don’t count me out. If there’s a character that I’d be right for and that you want me for, man, I’d be totally open-minded to it.’ It’s just the Drax character ran its course.”
Following his time in MCU, Bautista has successfully transitioned into more dramatic and action-oriented roles. His performances in Blade Runner 2049, Dune, and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery have solidified him as a sought-after actor beyond superhero films.
While Drax may be in the rearview mirror, it seems likely that fans will see Bautista return to the superhero universe—just in a different role.
