DAVE Bautista is ready to say goodbye to the Marvel universe.
“It wasn’t all pleasant," Bautista said of his decade-long involvement playing Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy. “I just don’t know if I want Drax to be my legacy,” he added.
Bautista addressed his final appearance as Drax the Destroyer in a GQ cover story describing the exit as a “relief” and calling the character “silly”.
“I’m so grateful for Drax. I love him. 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.”
‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ was Bautista’s first major role since exiting WWE in 2010.
“I had to pull over because I was crying so hard,” Bautista recalled upon finding out he landed the role. “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.”
Bautista revealed that he did not feel like he was “getting equal opportunities” with his former colleagues at WWE.
“Before I left WWE, Stone Cold Steve Austin pulled me aside and said, ‘You’re going to get offers for horrible scripts. The money will be tempting. Don’t get caught in that trap,'” said the ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ star.
“I never wanted to be the next Rock. I just want to be a good f***ing actor. A respected actor.”
Bautista continued, “Honestly, I could give a f*** [about being a movie star]. I don’t live a great, big glamorous life. I live here in Tampa. I don’t care about the spotlight; I don’t care about fame.
"I just want to be a better actor. I want respect from my peers. I don’t need accolades – I really don’t, man. It’s about the experience, about knowing that I accomplished something.”
The ‘Dune: Part Two’ and ‘A Knock at the Cabin’ actor previously took to Instagram in May 2022 after ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3’ production wrapped, calling it a “journey that changed my life”.
“James Gunn has already announced that it’s his last film and when James is done, I’m done,” Bautista confirmed. – The Vibes, January 6, 2023
