Dave Bautista Feels 'Sadness' Over His Final MCU Appearance

By Andrew Sanford | Celebrity | September 5, 2024 |

By Andrew Sanford | Celebrity | September 5, 2024 |

There was a time when Dave Bautista wasn’t sure if he would appear in Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 3. James Gunn had been fired from the film after a bad-faith campaign against him grew so loud that Disney took action. Dave Bautista, whose casting as the Drax The Destroyer Gunn fought for, was vocal in his distaste for the situation. He referred to working for Disney at the time as “nauseating” and said while he would do what he was contractually obligated to do, he would not appear in a third Guardians film if Gunn’s script was not used.

Not only was Gunn’s script used, he also got to return as director. However, since he was already committed to making a new Suicide Squad movie for Warner Brothers (a gig that would eventually lead to him co-running their superhero universe), his MCU swan song had to wait. Despite being announced in April 2017, the film wouldn’t see movie screens until slightly over six years later. Fans would be treated to Gunn’s last MCU appearance, as well as Dave Bautista’s.

Bautista was a revelation as Drax The Destroyer. I have written about wrestler-turned-actors many times on this site. There are none better than Dave Bautista (and none worse than racist union buster, Hulk Hogan). Bautista challenges himself as an actor, often choosing new and interesting roles that play against type. You can mark my words, he will be the first wrestler-turned-actor to win an Oscar (if that ever happens). Drax is what launched his incredible career, and he’s bummed his time in the role ended so hurriedly.

The former World Heavyweight Champion sat down for an interview with The Hollywood Reporter recently. He reflected on Guardians 3 and whether or not he missed the role of Drax. “I wouldn’t say I miss [Drax],” the actor explained. “What I do miss is the family environment. It’s hard knowing that we will never be on set together again. Me, Chris, Zoe, Pom, Karen, Sean Gunn, James Gunn — it’s never going to happen again. It’s hard to live with that.” The closeness of the Guardians cast is well-documented, but it’s always nice to hear any of them talk about it.

But, it was time to say goodbye. Unfortunately, Bautista had to make it quick, saying, “Our last night filming was here in Hollywood, and we wrapped at 3 or 4 in the morning. And then I literally had to run to the hotel, get my bags, jump on a jet and fly to Philadelphia to start Knock at the Cabin two days later. I was then on another film, and I didn’t do press or make the premiere for Guardians 3. So there’s just a huge part of me that feels like there was no closure. I never really got to say goodbye to that character and that cast, and there’s always going to be some sadness involved when I start thinking about that.”

It’s easy to look at the MCU’s faults (and there are many), but should it ever end, the Guardians trilogy will be seen as a big highlight. Not only are the films fun, well-made, and emotionally resonant in a way other MCU films aren’t, but it was made by a crew of people who seemed to genuinely get along. They found each other making these big, silly space hero movies and there’s something pretty wonderful about that.