New Guardians of the Galaxy Set Photos Show Dave Bautista's Drax in Hollywood

Set photos showed Drax wearing a shirt in The Guardians of The Galaxy Holiday Special.

By Richard Nebens Posted:
Guardians of the Galaxy Drax Hollywood

Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy are about to make an epic return to screens after a nearly three-year absence in the aftermath of 2019's Avengers: Endgame. Star-Lord, Drax, Rocket, and the crew will play a small supporting role in Thor: Love and Thunder this summer before embarking on their third solo adventure in next year's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The space-hopping crew will even become the first MCU team to lead their own holiday special too.

Currently, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special remains one of the most mysterious new entries under the MCU umbrella, with director James Gunn bringing it to life alongside the team's third solo movie. Set photos teased some intense action in Beverly Hills, and Gunn has revealed this project as the best piece of content he's ever developed both in and out of the superhero universe.

Filming is currently moving forward in Los Angeles, California, with recent set photos showing a fun connection to Marvel Studios Eternals as the holiday special moves along. Now, a more recent look into production for the Disney+ adventure has provided a new update - one which gives the team's most muscular member a wardrobe update in Hollywood.

Dave Bautista's Drax Gets a New Shirt

Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Marvel

Twitter user @allmidias shared new set images from The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which is currently filming at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollyood, Los Angeles, California.

The photos focus on Dave Bautista's Drax and Pom Klementieff's Mantis as they roam the streets, featuring giant gold statues and a fully gold street performer. Drax is even wearing a shirt in the scene for only the second time in his MCU tenure.

"I Have Sensitive Nipples. -Drax

Dave Bautista's Drax is known for spending the vast majority of his tenure within the MCU without a shirt, as has been the case in all four of his big-screen appearances to date. The only exception to this was during Tony Stark's funeral at the end of 2019's Avengers: Endgame, when he donned a sleeveless shirt as he stood on the hill outside of the Stark cabin.

This is certainly a strange look for Bautista's longstanding MCU hero as he takes in the sights and sounds of Earth's Hollywood alongside Mantis in the holiday special. Considering his struggles with metaphors and his knack for seeing things a little single-mindedly, street performers and Christmas decorations are sure to throw Drax the Destroyer for a loop as he adjusts to Earth's ways. 

Even though this is a different look for Bautista, he's shared how much he wants to see a costume change for Drax in the past. Maybe Gunn took his suggestion and put it into effect for this unique outing?

The Guardians' holiday special will put the team in a new environment as they are seemingly set to spend significant time on Earth, which has never happened before in the MCU, largely thanks to Star-Lord not wanting anything to do with his home planet. How the story works itself out in that regard is a mystery, but it's clear that Drax's wardrobe adjustment is only the first of some major changes for the group.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is currently filming and will debut on Disney+ at the end of this year.

- About The Author: Richard Nebens
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.