Dave Bautista: ‘I Just Don’t Know if I Want Drax to Be My Legacy’

Actor Dave Bautista has been very open about the fact that the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be the final time he plays the role of Drax the Destroyer. In a recent interview with GQ, Bautista went into more detail on why he’s stepping away from the role.

Speaking as part of a recent profile on Bautista, the actor recounted how he got the role, and how he was so excited that he ended up pulling over on the road and crying because of it. “I had to pull over because I was crying so hard,” Bautista said. “I turned right back around and walked into my house shaking to tell my wife I had gotten the role, and we were both standing there freaking out.”

However, despite the massive love Bautista has for the character, he does feel a bit of a “relief” that he’s done with the character. According to Bautista, it wasn’t always easy to play the role, as the makeup process for becoming Drax was strenuous. Bautista also spoke about how he isn’t too sure if he wants Drax to be the only thing he’s known for.

“I’m so grateful for Drax. I love him,” he says. “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.”

In previous discussions on the character, Bautista has also spoken about how other factors, including his age, have made him come to the decision that he’s done with Drax. In a series of tweets from 2021, Bautista joked that his muscles would begin sagging soon, and he couldn’t play the character anymore.

“Drax isn’t going anywhere,” Bautista said on Twitter. “He just won’t be played by this dude! By the time [Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3] comes out I’ll be 54 years old for gods sake! I’m expecting everything to start sagging any second now.”

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to premiere on May 5, 2023.