‘Guardians’ Star Dave Bautista Says “There’s A Relief” In His Retirement From MCU As He Looks To Take On “More Dramatic” Roles: “I Just Don’t Know If I Want Drax To Be My Legacy”

05.01.2023 - 00:01 / deadline.com

Dave Bautista is ready to move on from Guardians of the Galaxy, the Marvel franchise that took his acting career to the next level, following his retirement from the world of professional wrestling.

Bautista said in an interview with GQ published on Wednesday that he’s “so grateful” for and loves Drax the Destroyer — the intergalactic criminal he’s played in six major Marvel projects. At the same time though, there’s a sense of “relief” for the former WWE star that his time with the larger-than-life character will come to a close with the May 5th release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

“[Working on the franchise] wasn’t all pleasant. It was hard playing that role,” said Bautista. “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 stressed that the change he’s looking for in his career has nothing to do with becoming an ever bigger movie star. “Honestly, I could give a fuck [about being a movie star]. I don’t live a great big glamorous life. I live here in Tampa,” he said. “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 actor enjoying a standout career moment as one of the stars of Rian Johnson’s acclaimed Knives Out sequel Glass Onion seems poised for a major 2023 — first as the star of M. Night Shyamalan’s feature Knock at the Cabin, slated for release on February 3. But he seems to attribute the most weight, while looking to redefine himself as an actor, to his relationship with filmmaker Denis