The Guardians of the Galaxy are in for a huge resurgence in 2022 and 2023 with their own solo movie, an appearance in Thor: Love and Thunder, and two separate Disney+ exclusives. However, even for all the excitement surrounding Chris Pratt's Star-Lord, Dave Bautista's Drax, and the rest of the team, fans are also expecting next year to be the last time this iteration of the team is seen together.
It's already been teased that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will feature one or more major deaths, which also happened on a smaller scale with Groot in the first movie and Yondu in Vol. 2. Odds are already out on characters like Rocket Raccoon and Drax to potentially not make it out of this next outing alive, particularly with a date seemingly set against the High Evolutionary, who's rumored to be the main villain.
Multiple stars and crew members from Vol. 3 have spoken about this being the end of the franchise, particularly with how much emotion is in both the movie and the shoot itself. This trend continues with a recent social media post from Dave Bautista, who hinted at this being the final time he'll bring Drax the Destroyer to the big screen.
Dave Bautista Hints at End of His Guardians Journey
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 star Dave Bautista took to Instagram to reflect on the work that he did for the next Guardians solo movie.
Sharing that he didn't even have time to process the story ending, Bautista noted how playing Drax changed his life while adding the hashtag "#GoodbyeDrax" to his post. This came with the picture that director James Gunn shared on the final day of shooting for the Guardians' threequel:
"Haven’t found the words yet. It ended so suddenly and I was on to my next film before I could process it all. End of a journey that changed my life. #guardiansofthegalaxy #vol3 #GoodbyeDrax #DreamChaser #DreamMachine"
Is This The End for Dave Bautista?
About a year ago, Dave Bautista hinted that Drax's journey in the MCU may be over after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, although there are no story details that have been made public yet to confirm or deny this idea. He's spoken this way numerous times about his work for the last movie in the Guardians trilogy, potentially making sure that fans don't get too attached to his hero as he comes up on his sixth MCU movie.
There have also been quotes from Drax's creator, Jim Starlin, sharing the idea that Bautista could possibly be recast after his two upcoming live-action MCU outings with Bautista now being in his mid-50s. While there are no signs pointing to that being the case right now, it's something that the actor has on his mind as he looks to give the best he can for the franchise he's helped build over the last decade.
No matter how everything plays out, there is certainly a growing thought that Drax may not be around in the MCU much longer after the Guardians' third solo movie hits theaters. Bautista made his mark on the character with his dry sense of humor and lack of understanding of metaphors, and he would be missed should this be his curtain call.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will premiere in theaters on May 5, 2023. Drax will return next in July's Thor: Love and Thunder.
