Dave Bautista’s Drax might just be the funniest character in the entire MCU, with his habit of taking absolutely everything literally being the comedic highlights of both Guardians of the Galaxy films. So, we’re incredibly sad to be hearing rumors that Avengers: Infinity War will be the character’s last rodeo, perhaps meeting his doom at the hands of the villainous titan Thanos.
The biggest clues about this happening were dropped in an appearance on Jim Ross’ WWE podcast, in which Bautista expressed an interest in returning to the squared circle. Now, this wasn’t your typical bit of teasing ambiguity either, as Bautista openly explained how he’d like to return to being a full-time WWE Superstar, and how he’d be open to doing house shows upon his return.
Despite Bautista being one of the most beloved wrestlers of the modern era and hugely popular amongst wrestling fans, his last stint with the WWE didn’t go so well, ending in an acrimonious dispute over the creative direction of the company and (more importantly) that he and his fellow wrestlers simply weren’t getting the pay they deserved. But from the sounds of this interview, that’s all water under the bridge, with the adulation of the crowd and pleasure of wrestling apparently too much to ignore.
I can’t read Bautista’s mind, but if he did go through with this it’d be a rather strange career move. Between Guardians of the Galaxy and his brief but memorable appearance in Blade Runner 2049, he’s more than established his dramatic chops. Besides, acting is a pretty easy gig compared to the intense physical training and risk of injury that comes with professional wrestling.
For my part, I hope this turns out to be hot air. It’s difficult to imagine the Guardians of the Galaxy without Drax, and one of the biggest attractions of Avengers: Infinity War for me is going to be seeing exactly how he reacts when meeting the rest of the MCU. Long live Drax, I say.
