Dave Bautista admits leaving Marvel is a ‘relief’ since portraying ‘silly’ Drax wasn’t pleasant

Dave Bautista has played the role of Drax ever since the first installment in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” saga released in 2014. Image: AFP/Nick Agro via AFP Relaxnews

Drax the Destroyer might have been an unforgettable role for Dave Bautista in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” film series. However, he feels relieved about finally letting go of the character after nine years.

Bautista confirmed in an interview with American men’s publication GQ on Wednesday, Jan. 4, that “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” marks his final performance as Drax. In the film series, Drax is a former Kylosian intergalactic criminal who was determined to seek revenge for his wife and daughter’s death.

“I’m so grateful for Drax. I love him… but there’s a relief [that it is over]. It wasn’t all pleasant, it was hard playing that role. The makeup process was beating me down,” he said.

The professional wrestler-turned-actor also admitted that he’s unsure whether he wants to be known for portraying the Marvel character.

“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,” he added.

Bautista previously revealed at a May 2021 episode of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” that he was “ready” to wrap up his time at the “Guardians” film series, since he would be “54 years old” when the film comes out. 

“The shirtless thing is getting harder and harder for me,” he began in jest. “The journey has come full circle and I’m ready to step aside and wrap it up.”

The Filipino-American also spoke up about Drax’s character in an interview with entertainment website Collider in May 2021, saying that Marvel should have invested more into his “backstory.”

“I really wished they would have invested more in Drax, personally. Because I think Drax has more of a story to tell. I think Drax has a really interesting backstory which they dropped the ball on… But man, I think they really missed the ball on Drax. He has such a great backstory,” he said in the report.

The upcoming “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” will be released in the Philippines in May, according to a teaser uploaded on Marvel Philippines’ official YouTube account. The film stars Bautista, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper, among others.  /ra

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