Dave Bautista Says Goodbye to Drax After Wrapping Guardians of the Galaxy 3

Dave Bautista is feeling emotional after putting in his final performance as Drax the Destroyer, saying it came to an end ‘so suddenly.’

Marvel Studios

It has been quite the journey for James Gunn and the cast of the Guardians of the Galaxy series. After two acclaimed films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Gunn and the gang will return for the third and final installment of the franchise, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, with no plans to ever make a Guardians 4. After Gunn shared a wrap photo to announce that filming was complete on the movie, Dave Bautista reshared the image on his Instagram account, emotionally affected by his swansong as Drax happening so quickly he hadn’t even processed it yet.

“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,” Bautista wrote.

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This followed Gunn recently saying goodbye to the movie series on his own social media. He said that after shooting the very last shot needed for the film, it took everything in him “not to break down sobbing on the spot.” Even with the post-production process still ahead, it was pretty difficult for Gunn to realize that this journey is coming to an end after spending the past decade with Bautista and the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy cast.

“The majority of the last ten years of my life have been spent working on & thinking about the Guardians. I still have a long road ahead of me with VFX & editing, but it was still momentous to me,” Gunn said. “It is somewhat simple to explain to others how much I love this cast & crew. It is more difficult to explain how much I love these characters – that I see them as parts of myself & parts of those I love, & filming them, & writing their words, is a way of expressing that love.”

Related: Guardians of the Galaxy Cast: Character Guide and Descriptions

Dave Bautista Will Have a Last Hurrah as Drax

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

It’s not a surprise to see Bautista saying goodbye to Drax. Even if James Gunn wanted to end the Guardians series with the third installment, the door would still be open for some of these characters to appear in other MCU-set projects, as they’ll do in the upcoming sequel Thor: Love and Thunder. That apparently won’t be happening with Bautista’s Drax, as the actor has been pretty open about the fact that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the last he sees of himself ever performing in that role. Part of that simply has to do with the fact that he’s not getting any younger.

“I am going to be 54 years old by the time 3 comes out, and the shirtless thing is getting harder and harder for me. The journey has come full circle and I’m just ready to kind of step aside and wrap it up,” Bautista said on Ellen last year.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is expected to arrive on Disney+ this holiday season with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 scheduled to premiere in movie theaters on May 5, 2023.

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Jeremy Dick
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Jeremy Dick has been a writer and editor since 2014. He is a self-professed horror expert, pop culture enthusiast, and Bob Saget fanatic.

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