Avengers: Endgame: Dave Bautista Explains Disappointment Over Thanos Death

By Aeron Mer Eclarinal Updated:
Dave Bautista as Drax, Josh Brolin as Thanos, Avengers: Endgame logo

The Infinity Saga might have already ended, but there are still lingering plot threads that have yet to be explored that Phase 4 will need to address. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is expanding through different Disney+ shows, but the movie branch is not too far behind in terms of resolving different character arcs while also introducing new ones. 

One of the characters that was given the spotlight during the Infinity Saga was Dave Bautista's Drax. The character was first introduced during 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy as a criminal who was hellbent on seeking revenge against Ronan the Accuser due to the villain's part in the death of his family.

After defeating Ronan with the help of his newfound family, Drax sets his sight on Thanos, and his rage carried over to Avengers: Infinity War. Drax was initially given a chance to duke it out against the Mad Titan, but the villain's use of the Infinity Stones made it difficult for a one-on-one bout. 

Now, Bautista has opened up about Drax's failure to personally avenge his family from Thanos in a new interview. 

DAVE BAUTISTA OPENS UP ABOUT DRAX'S MCU ARC

Thanos Avengers Endgame Death
Marvel

Dave Bautista, who plays Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, recently sat down with Joblo to talk about Netflix's Army of the Dead. One of the topics that was discussed was the arc of Bautista's MCU character during the Infinity Saga. 

When asked if he was disappointed about the fact that Drax wasn't able to seek revenge against Thanos for killing his family during Avengers: Endgame, Bautista admitted that he was a “little disappointed” about it since he found that whole storyline “very personal:”

“Yeah, I think everybody was. I said in interviews somewhere where that I wish Drax would’ve killed Thanos and I got all these people saying, ‘That doesn’t even make sense! How could you say that? Drax doesn’t deserve to get to kill Thanos!’ And I said it because there’s not a character in the Marvel Universe that doesn’t want to kill Thanos. Of course Drax wanted to kill Thanos. Everybody wanted to kill Thanos. So yeah, a little disappointed, cause I kinda take that whole storyline very personal. But, I think every character wanted to get their hands on Thanos. ”

The MCU veteran then praised Thanos actor Josh Brolin, describing him as a “brilliant actor” who has been “overlooked way too much:”

“I have to say on the record that I love Josh Brolin [Thanos] to death. He’s actually one of my favorite people and by far one of my favorite actors. I love him. He’s such a brilliant actor. He’s overlooked way too much.”

HOW WILL DRAX'S MCU JOURNEY END IN PHASE 4?

Bautista's comment about Drax's failure is understandable, mainly due to the fact that it's the character's personal arc from the get-go during the Infinity Saga.

While the Guardian of the Galaxy was given a chance during Infinity War, it's safe to say that that opportunity was not enough and it's unfortunate that the character will not be given the chance to avenge his family in Phase 4. 

Still, the fact that the Avengers defeated Thanos during Avengers: Endgame should at least give a sense of satisfaction for Drax, since he technically took part in the final battle against the dangerous Mad Titan. It remains to be seen if Drax targeted Thanos during the battle at the Avengers compound, but it's possible that he did take a swipe at the villain off-screen. 

For now, Drax and the rest of the Guardians will be preoccupied with handling an unknown threat in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Bautista previously teased that fans will see more of the “fun” version of Drax in the threequel, and this could hint that Thanos is already in the back of the character's mind. 

Phase 4 is now moving forward with the multiverse concept, meaning that there are alternate Earths where Thanos is still alive. If given the chance, it's pretty much guaranteed that Drax will don a Quantum Realm suit to head over to a different Earth to personally avenge his family once and for all.

- In This Article: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Release Date
May 05, 2023
Platform
Theaters
- About The Author: Aeron Mer Eclarinal
Aeron is a news/features writer and Content Lead for The Direct who has been working for the site since March 2020. From writing about the inter-connectivity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to having an extended knowledge about DC TV's Arrowverse, Aeron's expertise has since expanded into the realm of reality TV, K-drama, animated, and live-action shows from Netflix,  Disney+, Prime Video, MGM+, Peacock, Paramount+, and Max. When he isn't writing and watching all things MCU, Aeron is heavily invested with the NBA (go Celtics!) and occasionally watches thrilling matches in the WWE.