Variety; Dave Bautista Says ‘Drax Is Over’ but ‘I’m Not Done’ With Superhero Movies: I Want the ‘Opportunity’ to Do a ‘Bigger’ and ‘Deeper Role … an Ominous Villain’

Story from Variety:

Dave Bautista says the door is closed on ever playing Drax the Destroyer again following last year’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” but that doesn’t mean his comic book movie tenure is over for good. Speaking to Gizmodo on the press tour for “Dune: Part Two,” the actor said he’s still interested in superhero movies and has even let Marvel boss Kevin Feige know.

“When I said that I was done, I was really just done with my journey as Drax,” Bautista said. “I still have a relationship with Marvel. I’ve seen Kevin Feige again, Lou [D’Esposito] as recently as two weeks ago. And they know that I would be up for a role. I love the universe — the superhero universe, I love it. I’m a fan. So Marvel or DC, if they call, I would answer the phone. And if the role makes sense, I’d be all over it.”

“I just would like the opportunity to do a bigger role, a different role,” he continued. “Maybe a deeper role. I’d love to have the opportunity to play, like, an ominous villain in the superhero universe. … I’m not done with it. But my journey with Drax is over.”

Bautista made headlines last year when he told GQ magazine that it was a “relief” that his time playing Drax in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was over.

“It wasn’t all pleasant,” he said at the time. “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.”

Back in 2021, Bautista told Collider that Marvel “dropped the ball” in terms of doing Drax justice on the big screen.

"I really wished they would have invested more in Drax, personally,” he said. “Because I think Drax has more of a story to tell. I think Drax has a really interesting backstory, which they dropped the ball on. That’s no dig on Marvel. They had their slate, I know what they’re focused on, that’s what they have [it] slated out. But man, I think they really missed the ball on Drax. He has such a great backstory.”

Bautista is serious when he says he’ll never play Drax again. He said on “The Tonight Show” last year that his “Guardians” director James Gunn had crafted such a “perfect exit” for his Drax that coming back to Marvel as him would “tarnish” the character.

“With Drax, I just got to end the perfect way,” he added. “And I would never sign up for another job as Drax just to get a paycheck … I won’t do it.”

Bautista appears to be more interested in continuing to hone his dramatic acting chops. “Dune: Part Two” marks his third collaboration with Denis Villeneuve, and it’s one that Bautista cherishes above all. others.

“I’ve never had a director until Denis, since Denis, say to me that you’re a very strong actor,” Bautista told Gizmodo. “And he said this to me on the first film. I was holding back because I was self-conscious [and] I was. I was very unsure of myself. And he came to me. He said, ‘I feel like you’re holding back. You’re a very strong actor, my friend. Just follow your instincts.’ And so I started belting it out, and I started finding this character. He not only loved it so much, but he was so supportive of my performance that he wanted to capture other people’s reactions to my performance. And so when you’re getting that kind of support, that was an experience I’ve never had before or since, with a director of that caliber. So it means everything. It’s validation.”

“Dune: Part Two” opens in theaters March 1 from Warner Bros.