3) Drax The Destroyer
Drax is the true muscle of the film, but there is actually a lot more to his character than being an extraterrestrial badass filled to the brim with anger and seeking revenge on those that murdered his family. Furthermore, if that was really all Drax was about, then he would come across as nothing more than a part-time WWE wrestler only cast because of his intimidating stature.
Instead, Drax has the character trait of taking everything another character says 100% literally, and it results in some of the funniest scenes in the movie. Additionally, Dave Bautista expresses an untapped and unknown knack for delivering deadpan comedic lines with excellent timing. None of the jokes feel forced at all, regardless of who Drax is interacting with.
It’s simply refreshing to see a character that has a dark and tormented past, but rather than bogging the movie done with too much depression, said character actually provides a personalized sense of comedy. I suppose it could just be an over-exaggerated take on the concept of all brawn and no brain, but Drax feels identifiably different. He wields a mountain of strength but isn’t flat out stupid, he just can’t understand the simplest metaphor.
On a related note, Guardians Of The Galaxy could be the breakout role for the WWE superstar. Director James Gunn has plucked from Bautista the skill of deadpan comedy that the actor probably never knew resided within him. Here’s hoping that Bautista continues to find success out there in Hollywood.