Credit: Marvel StudiosA prominent Marvel Cinematic Universe star has jumped ship from the series that made him a household name, and now he’s speaking out on his future in the comic book movie world.
Kevin Feige’s Marvel Cinematic Universe has been going through it of late. After establishing itself as one of the most powerful forces in Hollywood, building a solid reputation and fanbase over a decade, the Marvel machine hit the hurdles hard when content was split between Disney+ and the big screen. The pandemic industry-wide shutdown also didn’t help the studio, and now, Marvel Studios finds itself in its most tentative phase yet.
Back in 2022, Kevin Feige announced movies through 2026, rounding out the rest of Phase Four, Phase Five, and Phase Six, all culminating in a new duo of Avengers movies: Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. But, Marvel being Marvel, the dates of these exciting releases have already been shifted, with the latter now coming three years from now, in 2027.
Not only that, but the new Big Bad of Kang the Conqueror, played by the disgraced Jonathan Majors, is seemingly no longer a part of the wider franchise. The studio is saying that they were already looking to shift focus from Kang following the negative reception to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), despite Majors’ critical acclaim after appearing as Kang Variant He Who Remains in the first season of Michael Waldron’s Loki. Avengers: The Kang Dynasty is now reportedly titled Avengers 5, while the trajectory of the franchise is altered. Likely using the Pedro Pascal-starring The Fantastic Four (2025).
Phase 5 of the MCU has been midly impressive as a whole. Not only did Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania strike out at the global box office, but The Marvels (2023)–Nia DaCosta’s sequel to the billion-dollar Captain Marvel (2019)–became the worst-performing MCU movie of all time. On the television front, not even Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury could keep audiences entertained in Secret Invasion.
But there was one highlight, though. The third installment in James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy series brought an emotional end to the fan-favorite MCU squad. First appearing in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) ten years ago, the team returned in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022).
And despite the success and popularity of the Guardians of the Galaxy series, the third volume was always touted as the final chapter for this current roster of characters. Fans were prepared, then, to potentially lose the likes of Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), or Groot (Vin Diesel). While it was a relatively happy ending by the finish, it did confirm that the team would be over, with each going their separate ways.
Related: Marvel Confirms the Next Full Avengers Team in the MCU
One of the more vocal stars behind the Guardians squad is former professional wrestler Dave Bautista. Bautista often called out the nature of his character, whether that be his shirtlessness, the makeup, or the emotional depth of Drax. Now, the actor is once more confirming his exit from the Guardians of the Galaxy series and speaking out on his place in the MCU moving forward.
“No, no. When I said that I was done, I was really just done with my journey as Drax. I still have a relationship with Marvel. I’ve seen Kevin Feige again, Lou [D’Esposito] as recently as two weeks ago. And they know that I would be up for a role,” Bautista told io9.
The actor seemed to hark on his opinion that Drax was not a deep character, which is something he has challenged before:
“I love the universe—the superhero universe, I love it. I’m a fan. So, Marvel or DC, if they call, I would answer the phone. And if the role makes sense, I’d be all over it. I just would like the opportunity to do a bigger role, a different role. Maybe a deeper role. I’d love to have the opportunity to play like an ominous villain in the superhero universe. Yeah. But never. I’m not done with it. But my journey with Drax is over.”
Presently, only Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord is confirmed to be returning to the MCU following his post-credit scene at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The Multiverse Saga is still ongoing, so at this point, any previous actor could return as an entirely new character. Fans saw this with the mid-credits scene of The Marvels, highlighting Lashana Lynch’s return to the MCU as Maria Rambeau/Binary. Bautista could also transition to the forthcoming DC Universe, helmed by his Guardians series director, James Gunn.
Related: Three ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Characters Recast for New MCU Project
As for the actor, Bautista will next star in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune — Part Two (2024), the follow-up to his hugely successful Dune (2021). The actor plays the role of brutish Glossu Rabban Harkonnen alongside an ensemble cast featuring the likes of Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Zendaya as Chani, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, and Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan. Dune — Part Two will be released worldwide on March 1, 2024.
Do you think Dave Bautista will return to the MCU as a new character? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!