Everyone loves Dave Bautista’s Drax, who effortlessly won the hearts of audiences with his over-literal sensibility and craving for bloody vengeance. The only people that might have some reservations about the character right now are Disney and Marvel Studios, who’ve faced blunt and angry criticism from Bautista about their decision to sack James Gunn from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. He’s been so consistent with his invective (not to mention his cavalier attitude towards spoiling Avengers 4) that many have concluded he’s trying to get out of his contract by forcing the studio to fire him.
That’s why it’s a little perplexing that we now find out that he’s been angling for a Drax spinoff movie. In an interview with MTV to promote his new film Final Score, he explained:
“You know I really wish they would tell more of the story of Drax’s family. I think it’s a beautiful story and I think it’s been lost and overlooked a little bit. It’s a beautiful and heartbreaking emotional thing to know where that love for his family and that heartbreak over his family being lost and murdered, where it comes from and I think…I really wish they would touch upon that more and I think the fans would like to see that more.”
Hey, while a sensitive indie drama about Drax coming to terms with his love for his family and his grief at their murders might not sound like much fun, I’m pretty confident that Bautista could make it worth watching. That’s why, in the light of his recent statements, he followed up with this:
“Which is really why I really pushed and fought for the Drax standalone film but I don’t think it’s ever going to happen. I really wish they would because I think there’s a story to be told there and I think the fans would really love to see that story, even if it’s not me portraying Drax, I just think it is an interesting story to tell.”
The key phrase there is “even if it’s not me portraying Drax.” That indicates to me that Bautista’s at minimum thinking about a future for the character without him being involved in it, or worse, that he’s had meetings with Disney and Marvel Studios where the prospect of recasting the role’s been raised. I don’t know about you, but the idea of a Drax solo movie without Bautista just sounds like an enormous waste of time to me.
