Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 promises to be the final outing for the cosmic heroes as a team, but we’re told that there’s still the potential for individual characters to reappear in the MCU afterward. It’s definitely the last time we’ll be seeing Drax, however, as Dave Bautista has made clear that he’s done with the grey body-paint and is putting the Marvel universe behind him.
This has led to speculation that the studio could recast the role of the Destroyer with a new actor. Well, with production on Vol. 3 having recently wrapped up, one ambitious fan has decided to immediately throw their name into the ring to replace Bautista. The fan, Twitter user @TheBigVause, claimed that they’re ready to train every day to get into Bautista-level shape and remarked that they’re willing to “sell my house, quit my job and fly out [to L.A.] tomorrow.”
Although you’ve got to admire their commitment, it seems the fan’s efforts to land the gig are all for naught as Guardians director James Gunn responded that he doesn’t think there will ever be another Drax. That is, as long as he has something to say about it.
“There will never be any Drax for me besides [Dave Bautista],” Gunn tweeted. That’s clearly something the fans wanted to hear as his tweet has received thousands of likes and counting.
When the shoot concluded earlier this month, Bautista took to Instagram to mark the occasion, remarking that he’d come to the “end of a journey that changed my life”, and included the hashtag “#GoodbyeDrax.” So that doesn’t leave much room for error when it comes to making a statement about his Marvel future. But, by the sounds of things, the character of Drax will be rested following the Dune star’s exit from the MCU.
The good news is that we’ve got much more to come from Bautista’s Drax over the next year. He’s back in Thor: Love and Thunder this June, he’ll feature in December’s The Guardian of the Galaxy Holiday Special, and then, finally, his journey will end with May 2023’s Guardians 3.