Director James Gunn’sGuardians of the Galaxymarked the MCU debut of several characters who have become fan favorites, including Dave Bautista’s Drax the Destroyer. Now, Bautista and Gunn have weighed in on what the future could hold for Drax after Marvel Studios’Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,and in the filmmaker’s eyes, it should not involve recasting.
Bautista’s Drax the Destroyer was introduced to audiences as an imprisoned Kylosian who seeks revenge against Ronan the Accuser, who murdered his wife and child, and countless others from his homeworld, on the orders of Thanos. After forming a delicate alliance with fellow inmates Peter Quill, Gamora, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot, Drax escapes from the interstellar prison and finds himself entangled in the group’s efforts to prevent Ronan from obtaining the Power Stone, a weapon the radical Kree warlord intends to use to eradicate the Xandarians. Though the group is successful in their mission and Ronan is brought to justice,Drax declares his intentions to kill Thanosfor the Mad Titan’s role in the murder of his family.
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While Drax wasn’t the one to directly kill Thanos inAvengers: Endgame, he played a crucial role in helping the Avengers and several other heroes defeat the Mad Titan and his army. With that chapter of Drax’s story now behind him, the character’s journey is set to come to an end with the release ofGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which will be Gunn’s final entry in the film series. Bautista has also stated thatGuardians of the GalaxyVol. 3will endhis time with the franchise, but the actor recently took to his official Twitter account to clarify that this does not necessarily mean the character will be going anywhere, suggesting there is always the possibility of seeing someone new take over the role. However, Gunn responded to the post by declaring that there is no Drax without Bautista and that he is irreplaceable, concluding his message by supporting the actor’s right to do as he wishes with his acting choices.
Bautista replied to Gunn’s comment by noting that there is no Drax for him without Gunn, reiterating the fact thatGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3will mark the end of a journey for them both. Gunn later responded to a fan’s question about the chances of him returning to direct a fourthGuardiansfilm by saying, “Never say never.” However, he made clear that he viewsVol. 3as the conclusion to thestory he started withGuardians of the Galaxyback in 2014.
Of course, Gunn still appears to have a long career in the superhero business ahead of him. The filmmaker is currently hard at workshooting thePeacemaker series for HBO Max, which will tell the origins of John Cena’s eponymous antihero before the events ofThe Suicide Squad.
Meanwhile, Bautista will next be seen as a mercenary who takes part in a heist during the zombie apocalypse in Zack Snyder’sArmy of the Dead. However, it appears Bautista still has his eyes on at least one superhero role, as the actor recently admitted thathe auditioned for the role of Banein a very forward manner.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3is scheduled to be released in theaters on June 19, 2025.
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