Guardians Of The Galaxy's Drax Changed Dave Bautista's Entire Life

Former WWE wrestler Dave Bautista is all over Hollywood these days. He's appeared in films like "Spectre," "Blade Runner 2049," "Army of the Dead," "Dune," "Stuger," "Knock at the Cabin," and "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery." He is, of course, currently starring in the Marvel film "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," reprising the role of Drax the Destroyer. The character is the heart of this group and, along with Mantis (Pom Klementieff), the comic relief. Drax takes everything literally, sometimes thinks he can make himself invisible, and would do absolutely anything for his friends. 

When he was up for the role of Drax in the 2014 film "Guardians of the Galaxy," he couldn't have known how much his life would change when James Gunn cast him. He'd been auditioning and had seen other wrestlers like Dwayne Johnson make the transition from wrestling to acting, but it hadn't really taken off for him yet.

He had a few small roles on TV series like "Smallville," the Australian soap opera "Neighbors," "Chuck," and the film "The Man with the Iron Fists," but he wasn't exactly a household name until "Guardians" came along. Booking that role was powerful for him, according to a Singapore press tour panel (via ComicBook.com). During the event, Bautista spoke about the moment he found out that he got the role of Drax. 

Bautista told the Singapore audience he was on the way to the gym when he got the call from his manager, who wouldn't tell him the big news until his agent was also on the line. He continued:

"He said, 'Congratulations, Mr. Drax.' And I literally just broke down. I drove home, I was just a mess ... It was a big deal to me, and I can never explain to people how big this was for me. It was a life-changing thing for me. It was hard for me to leave behind wrestling, but I worked and struggled and worked and struggled and auditioned and auditioned and finally got the dream role of a lifetime."

I actually remember hearing that Bautista cried when he got the role, and between that and the charm he exudes on camera, he's become one of my favorite actors. Considering the directorial talent he's worked with, it's clear that I'm not the only one. In fact, Marvel President Kevin Feige paid him a huge compliment at the "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" press conference, which I attended. Feige said, "I literally am like, not only is Drax one of the best characters in the MCU, written by James [Gunn], but I think Dave Bautista has become one of the best actors that we've ever gotten. And I just wanted to give that shout-out."

As much as it meant to Bautista to get the role of Drax, it isn't the only thing he wants to do with his acting career. He recently spoke to GQ and talked about the end of his time playing the very best Guardian (fight me). He said: 

"I'm so grateful for Drax. I love him. But there's a relief [that it's over]. It wasn't all pleasant. It was hard playing that role. The makeup process was beating me down. And I just don't know if I want Drax to be my legacy — it's a silly performance, and I want to do more dramatic stuff."

While audiences are grateful for the joy he's given us as Drax, Bautista has really been tearing it up on the dramatic side. The short turn he gave as Nexus-8 replicant Sapper Morton in "Blade Runner 2049" was riveting, and he was terrifying as Glossu Rabban in "Dune." Drax may not be returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but I cannot wait for what he has coming up next, including "Dune: Part Two."

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" is currently in theaters.