‘Glass Onion’ Star Dave Bautista is Happy to Leave ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Behind
For almost 10 years, Dave Bautista has played Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Although he’s a fan favorite, he’s ready to leave the Marvel Cinematic Universe behind. He recently starred in the Netflix film Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, and he enjoyed playing a different sort of role. In fact, he’s decided to take his acting career in an entirely new direction, and to do that, he’ll have to leave Drax behind.
Dave Bautista ‘there’s a relief’ that he’s done with Drax
When Bautista first left the world of pro wrestling to pursue acting, he wasn’t sure Hollywood would take him seriously. But when he landed the role of Drax in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, he knew he’d gotten his big break.
He was successful in the role, but according to Variety, nine years later, Bautista is ready to move on.
“I’m so grateful for Drax. I love him. But there’s a relief [that it’s over],” he said. “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.”
Bautista has certainly been making his way into other realms of acting recently. He not only appeared in Glass Onion, but he also has other projects lined up that will give him the room to stretch his dramatic skills.
But although Bautista is eager to move on in his acting career, fans of Drax are sorry to see him go.
Drax has a storied history in the MCU
Bautista’s Drax has been a part of the MCU for nearly a decade. He’s appeared in seven movies, including the upcoming release Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Other than the three Guardians of the Galaxy installments, the actor has also played Drax in Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Thor: Love and Thunder, and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.
Although he thinks of the role as “silly,” according to Collider, he’s underselling the character and how well he played him. There’s plenty of humor along the way, but Drax has also shown an emotional and caring side. He’s there for his friends, and he’s even expressed vulnerability when talking about the wife and daughter he lost.
Nonetheless, it seems to be time for Bautista to explore different kinds of roles. And if 2023 is any indication, he’s going to be very busy.
Dave Bautista already has projects lined up
GQ reports that Bautista has a busy year ahead of him. Coming fresh off the success of Glass Onion, he has another movie coming out next month. This one is a thriller by the renowned M. Night Shyamalan, called A Knock at the Cabin.
In May, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 debuts. Then, in November he will appear in Dune: Part Two. The role he plays will be bigger than it was in the first Dune movie.
His dream for the future looks promising. Rian Johnson, who was the director of Glass Onion, seems convinced that he has what it takes to play more serious parts.
“I keep telling all my filmmaker friends,” he said, “that someone is going to give Dave a real dramatic lead role in a movie, and they’re going to look like a genius.”
Bautista made a big leap when he got into professional wrestling. It was another brave move when he transitioned into acting. Now he’s ready to try his luck again, by striking out as a dramatic actor. With his history of success, it would probably not be wise to bet against him.
