Dave Bautista quits MCU as Drax; tracing his career trajectory
What's the story
Dave Bautista took everyone by surprise when he revealed he won't be returning to the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise as Drax.
In an interview with GQ magazine, Bautista said that though he loved the role, it's a "relief" to have quit the "silly" character, and won't return after the third part of the Marvel film.
Here's everything you need to know about Bautista.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Bautista was roped in for the role of Drax the Destroyer in Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)'s Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014. Since then, he's returning to its installments and other Marvel films.
However, after the third installment of the franchise which is slated for a theatrical release in May, Bautista will not be returning as Drax, bringing an end to his famous character.
Details
It wasn't pleasant, said Bautista on playing Drax
Talking to GQ magazine, Bautista said, "I'm so grateful for Drax. I love him. But there's a relief [that it's over]."
"It wasn't all pleasant. It was hard playing that role. The makeup process was beating me down. And I just don't know if I want Drax to be my legacy - it's a silly performance, and I want to do more dramatic stuff."
Wrestling
Before becoming an actor, he was a wrestler
Similar to Dwayne Johnson, Bautista was also a professional wrestler before he took up acting. He was active in WWE between 2002 and 2019. Popularly known as "Batista" inside the ring, the wrestler-turned-actor was a six-time world champion.
He won the World Heavyweight Championship and WWE Championship, multiple times. He retired from wrestling in 2019 and has won a total of 11 championships.
Acting career
Acting debut and filmography at a glance
In the year 2006, Bautista marked his acting debut with Relative Strangers, a comedy film by Greg Glenna, starring him as a wrestler.
Since then, he has been a part of a number of films including 2012's The Man with the Iron Fists, 2013's Riddick, 2015's James Bond film Spectre, 2017's Blade Runner 2049, 2021's Army of the Dead, and 2021's Oscar-winning film Dune.
MCU
Bautista and his MCU journey
Bautista has had a good and long association with the Marvel world. He has been seen in a little over half a dozen Marvel films, reprising his character of Drax.
His Marvel connection began with Guardians of the Galaxy and is also ending with the franchise's third installment. He was seen in Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Thor: Love and Thunder.
Work front
The upcoming projects
Bautista, who was last seen in the recently released film Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery along with actors Daniel Craig and Kate Hudson, has landed a number of roles in some big projects.
He will be seen in Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya-starrer Dune: Part Two as well as in M Night Shyamalan's upcoming film, Knock at the Cabin.