James Gunn Had To Fight To Cast Dave Bautista In Guardians Of The Galaxy

Much digital ink has been spilled about how the Marvel Cinematic Universe is perfectly cast.

Whether it’s Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Scarlett Johannson as Black Widow or Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man – undoubtedly the (mechanical) beating heart of the Infinity Saga – Marvel Studios crafted their universe around an ensemble of remarkably talented individuals.

So much so, in fact, that when it comes to many of the central characters peppered throughout the MCU, we can’t imagine anyone else in their shoes. Take Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer, an extraordinarily humble war machine driven by revenge. Oh, and did we mention he’s mastered the art of invisibility?

This, and all his many character traits, are brought to life beautifully by Bautista, who almost didn’t make the cut for the original Guardians of the Galaxy movie back in 2014. Or so says director James Gunn, who recently recalled the amount of effort it took to convince the Powers That Be that Dave Bautista was the man for the job.

https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1246937079428210688

Truth be told, it isn’t all that surprising to learn that James Gunn had to fight tooth and nail to cast Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer; after all, prior to Guardians of the Galaxy, Bautista was best known for his time in the ring, and had one or two acting credits (see: The Man With the Iron Fists, Riddick) to his name.

All that changed when James Gunn brought him on board for Guardians of the Galaxy, given Bautista delivered kick-ass performances across both Spectre and Blade Runner 2049 – with a limited amount of screentime, no less.

But it’s within the Marvel Cinematic Universe where Dave Bautista has struck gold. Not only is Drax the Destroyer a bona fide fan-favorite, but he’ll likely be a part of this saga for many more years to come – beginning with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.