How Guardians Of The Galaxy Changed Dave Bautista Forever

Much to the disappointment of his fans, Dave Bautista was transparent early on about «Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3» being his last outing with Marvel Studios. The actor announced his retirement as Drax during an appearance on «The Ellen DeGeneres Show» in 2021, saying, «The journey has come full circle, and I’m ready to wrap it up.» Interestingly, he was surprised audiences did not expect his retirement, especially after James Gunn had already confirmed his own departure from the Marvel franchise.

Despite being prepared, Bautista admitted, «It’s very bittersweet to say goodbye,» during an interview with Digital Spy. «I’m leaving behind people that I’ve been on this journey with for 10 years, and they’re family to me now. And I love them dearly.» Additionally, the actor recalled his last day on set being extremely emotional. Scheduled to start filming «Knock at the Cabin,» Bautista was forced to wrap up his time on «Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3» earlier than his co-stars. «I never really got the chance to say goodbye to everyone. There was never really that moment to kind of let it sit in,» he said. «But it was the last time that the original version of the Guardians of the Galaxy were on set together, and we were all in tears.»