Dave Bautista Confirms Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Is His Last Performance As Drax

Somehow, it has been almost a decade since the first "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie breathed new life into the MCU. Chris Pratt toned up for the part of Peter Quill, per Men's Journal, and Zoe Saldaña portrayed another alien following her work in "Avatar." But one of the most impressive additions to the cast was Dave Bautista as the oblivious-yet-hilarious Drax the Destroyer. The fighter who is looking to avenge the deaths of his family is at first reluctant at best to join our group of heroes but then goes on to be a widely accepted member of the Guardians crew. And this would not have been possible without the comedic stylings of the former wrestler.

Even though Bautista recalled at Denver Pop Culture Con that his audition was less than ideal, he is one member of the main cast who has had a full and successful career outside of Marvel (via The Wrap). His brief role in "Blade Runner 2049" was a jaw-dropping crack at serious acting, while "Dune Part 2" is one of the most anticipated films of this year. With all of this in mind, Bautista is ready to leave the MCU behind, and stated that he will be hanging up his knives following "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3."

Dave Bautista's prestige seems to be climbing to great heights. In addition to his contributions to popular sci-fi fare, he has joined a stacked cast in Rian Johnson's "Knives Out" sequel, "Glass Onion." And this coming year, he will also be starring in M. Night Shyamalan's film "Knock at the Cabin." This trajectory is significant to Bautista, who wants his film career to have forward momentum.

"I'm so grateful for Drax. I love him," Bautista told GQ. "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." This departure isn't exactly surprising. The actor has been vocal about his Marvel opinions, particularly in the aftermath of James Gunn's public firing (via The Hollywood Reporter). And though the director has returned for this "Guardians" installment, the franchise has lost some of its shine.

Bautista is moving on, meaning that things don't look great for Drax. Although it is possible that the character could find a happy ending, the "Guardians 3" trailer doesn't inspire confidence. Drax is pictured in one shot with a nasty-looking wound, hinting that he may be the big character to die at the end of it all. After all, it isn't an MCU finale without a devastating death.