When the Guardians of the Galaxy were introduced into the MCU way back in 2014, director James Gunn used the relative obscurity of the team to completely reinvent them for the screen, altering everything from their personalities to their looks. Drax the Destroyer, for instance, was given grey skin and intricate tattoos covering his torso instead of his Hulk-like design in the comics. As played by Dave Bautista, the character became a firm fan favorite.
But these days, Bautista has admitted he’s less keen to play a role that requires him to be shirtless all the time. The 52-year-old actor has recently opened up about feeling his age and wanting to move away from roles that need him to show off his impressive physique. Following that revelation, Bautista has now pitched the idea of giving Drax some clothes in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 to James Gunn on Twitter.
First of all, one fan reached out to both star and director on social media, asking them if they’d ever consider going with a more comic-book accurate look for Drax. The fan attached a couple of images of Drax’s original appearance, including a purple cape and matching skintight bodysuit. Gunn wasn’t a fan of the idea, though, quipping: “That’s too much like what [Dave Bautista] wears in his regular life.”
https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1412202496097931267?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1412202496097931267%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fthedirect.com%2Farticle%2Fguardians-of-the-galaxy-3-dave-bautista-drax-james-gunn-clothes
Bautista himself then retweeted Gunn’s response and joked that wearing his own clothes for the character would “save production the cost of wardrobe! Think about it!”
I still say it will translate on to screen! And save production the cost of wardrobe! Think about it! 🤷🏻♂️ https://t.co/a2ihZhuIeH
— Dave Bautista (@DaveBautista) July 6, 2021
This is just some fun banter between pals, though we know from his admissions in interviews that Bautista does have problems with the way Drax is depicted in the MCU. He’s revealed that he thinks Marvel “dropped the ball” by not exploring the darker aspects of Drax’s backstory and personality. The star’s also pretty sure Vol. 3, which starts shooting later this year, is to be his last Marvel outing. Gunn has said that he supports his friend in his decision.
Dave Bautista is currently shooting Knives Out 2 for Netflix. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is due out in May 2023.
