Dave Bautista Confirms He’s Done with Drax and the Original Guardians of the Galaxy Won’t Return

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” was released over a year ago and brought several important developments to the MCU. Unlike some other recent MCU projects, the third installment in the “Guardians” series was a success with both critics and at the box office.

As the movie shows, the team eventually went their separate ways. Star-Lord went back to Earth to reconnect with his human side, and Gamora joined the Ravagers. Mantis decided to pursue her own path and personal goals. Meanwhile, Nebula and Drax stayed on Knowhere to take care of the children they had rescued from the High Evolutionary’s ship.

The MCU has introduced a new Guardians of the Galaxy team consisting of Groot, Kraglin, Cosmo, Adam Warlock, Phyla, and Blurp, with Rocket Raccoon now serving as their leader. There are hints that Star-Lord might return, and Chris Pratt has expressed his willingness to take on more adventures as the character. Meanwhile, Pom Klementieff and Karen Gillan, who portray Mantis and Nebula, have not ruled out reprising their roles.

However, shortly after the release of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” Zoe Saldana confirmed she was done playing Gamora. Dave Bautista also announced that he is finished with his role as Drax, as he wants to avoid being typecast. He has since been seeking more meaningful roles, potentially in the DCU, after James Gunn recently asked fans to suggest a part for him.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Bautista explained that the chances of his return to the MCU are zero. He mentioned that while he doesn’t miss his character, he does miss the sense of family he built with his co-stars.

I wouldn’t say I miss [Drax]. What I do miss is the family environment. It’s hard knowing that we will never be on set together again. Me, Chris, Zoe, Pom, Karen, Sean Gunn, James Gunn — it’s never going to happen again. It’s hard to live with that. Our last night filming was here in Hollywood, and we wrapped at 3 or 4 in the morning. And then I literally had to run to the hotel, get my bags, jump on a jet and fly to Philadelphia to start Knock at the Cabin two days later. I was then on another film, and I didn’t do press or make the premiere for Guardians 3. So there’s just a huge part of me that feels like there was no closure. I never really got to say goodbye to that character and that cast, and there’s always going to be some sadness involved when I start thinking about that.

Even if the cast were to reunite somehow, Bautista is right about one thing: it would never be the same again. James Gunn is now leading his own cinematic universe, and it’s been suggested that he plans to bring over some of the “Guardians” cast members.

His brother, Sean Gunn, has already been cast as Maxwell Lord, which drew some criticism from fans. As mentioned earlier, James Gunn was also considering a role for Bautista a few months ago.

Given the comments from the former cast members, it seems unlikely that the original Guardians will come back together anytime soon, and the new lineup will carry on for now. What do you think about this? Share your thoughts in the comments below!