It seems like Marvel President Kevin Feige isn’t shy about picking favorites after he called this Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) actor one of the franchise’s best.
Marvel Studios has no shortage of talented performers, from Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark/Iron Man to Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, to more recently, Angela Bassett, who was nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category at this year’s Academy Awards for her portrayal of Queen Ramonda in 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Still, there’s no denying that some performances stand out more than others—something Feige has taken notice of over the years.
Speaking with journalists during the global press conference for the James Gunn-directed Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Feige took some time to gush over Dave Bautista, who’s played Drax the Destroyer in the MCU since 2014.
Feige began by giving a special shout-out to two of the main ensemble members missing from the press conference: Zoe Saldana, who plays Gamora, and Bautista. While he did praise both actors, Feige claimed that the latter deserves “particular” mention:
This cast, which is amazing, and the cast members that aren’t here, and Zoe, who is just such a key to this, and I think kills it. And in particular, Dave Bautista.
Nearly spoiling a scene from Vol 3., Feige continued, highlighting a particular moment when Drax made him tear up while watching:
We watched the movie last night, and we were talking about moments that tear us up when he watches… I’m not going to give anything away, but he gives an expression in the movie.
As if that praise wasn’t already enough, Feige went on to call the former WWE wrestler “one of the best actors” he’s ever gotten to work with:
I literally am like, not only is Drax one of the best characters in the MCU, written by James, but I think Dave Bautista has become one of the best actors that we’ve ever gotten to work with, and I just want to give that shout-out.
Fiege is undoubtedly correct in saying that Bautista has become a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood since hanging up his wrestling tights in 2010.
Over the past few years alone, Bautista has starred in several Marvel-related projects, including Rian Johnson’s critically-acclaimed Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) and the first installment of the sci-fi epic, Dune (2021).
And it seems like Vol. 3 will be no exception to his recent string of box office hits, with critics already deeming it the best Marvel movie since Avengers: Endgame. Since Vol. 3 is the third and final installment in the Guardians franchise, it sounds like Drax and his very talented actor will get nothing short of a satisfying send-off and will certainly have his time to shine in the film.
While his post-MCU future remains unknown, there are endless opportunities for Bautista to pursue going forward. But no matter where he goes next, it seems like he’ll always have a fan in Feige cheering him on from the sidelines.
Are you looking forward to seeing Dave Bautista and the Guardians team up for one last ride in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3? Let us know in the comments below.