Remember when James Gunn first announced the core cast of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy three years ago? Aside from the relatively bankable trio of Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel, Chris Pratt and Dave Bautista in particular were considered somewhat risky additions to the superhero fold.
Bautista, a former wrestler and mixed martial artist, didn’t have much experience to call upon when assuming the role of Drax the Destroyer, which arguably makes his standout performance all the more impressive. From the deadpan one-liners to his natural chemistry with his fellow Guardians, Dave Bautista was a natural as the hulking warrior, and it’s no surprise to learn that Drax is already “blowing people’s minds” coming out of early screenings for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
Ever one to maintain an open dialogue with fans online, director James Gunn took to Facebook (via Screen Rant) to wish Dave Bautista a happy birthday, before going on to tease the “raw emotion and humor” he brings to the character in the upcoming sequel.
“He’s been blowing people’s minds in our early screenings of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – exponentially increasing the raw emotion and humor he displayed in the first movie. I couldn’t be more proud of having fought for him to play Drax four and a half years ago.”
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will light up theaters on May 5, 2017. In related news, developer Telltale Games is currently working on an episodic series based on the spacefaring adventures of Star-Lord and the gang. It’ll be comprised of five installments – so far, at least – and is reportedly on course to make its premiere sometime in April.
