Dave Bautista: I don’t want Guardians of the Galaxy character to be my legacy

By Mike Bedigan, PA Los Angeles Correspondent

Dave Bautista says that he does not want his Guardians Of The Galaxy character Drax “to be my legacy”, and would like to take on more dramatic roles in future.

The professional wrestler-turned-actor said he was “grateful” to have played the character in the popular Marvel films but that he felt “relief” that the franchise was coming to an end.

It comes ahead of the release of Guardians Of The Galaxy: Volume 3, which is due to hit theatres on May 5, and is expected to be the last in the series.

Bautista stars alongside Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel, playing the dopey and often socially unaware character of Drax.

Speaking during an interview with GQ magazine, he said: “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.”

Prior to acting, Bautista enjoyed a successful in-ring career in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), gaining fame with his ring name Batista.

He began acting in 2006 and has gone on to appear in films including James Bond film Spectre in 2015, Blade Runner 2049  in 2017 and Dune in 2021.

He recently starred alongside Daniel Craig in Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.