Dave Bautista Thinks Marvel Should Have Made A Drax Solo Movie
Dave Bautista tweeted out last week that he thinks Marvel missed a major chance in giving Drax the Destroyer a solo movie in the franchise
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Marvel Studios butchered the opportunity of a lifetime when executives passed up on a Drax solo movie, actor Dave Bautista tweeted out on Friday. The Army of the Dead star responded to news of Avengers: Endgame co-star Scarlett Johansson indicting Disney with characteristic jest, and filed his own “lawsuit” of sorts, calling Marvel bigwigs out for not making the Drax-only feature he reportedly insisted would hit. Johansson, who plays super-spy Natasha Romanoff in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is taking Marvel and Disney to court for releasing Black Widow on Disney+ Premier Access without her consent. The New York City native would have earned plenty from the $60 million the streamer grossed from digital release alone.
Check out Dave Bautista’s post on Twitter:
Dave Bautista was responding also to Hollywood is getting blasted left and right by successive lawsuits after Johansson made hers public on July 29, Thursday. She filed her complaint at the Los Angeles Superior Court, citing breach of contract as her reason, completely blindsiding Marvel in the process. A spokesperson revealed the studio is furious with Johansson, describing the 36-year-old megastar as insensitive to the “horrific and prolonged global effects” of the coronavirus pandemic, especially on the business of cinema as a whole.
Disney retaliated by taking Johansson off an upcoming Terror of Tower project, a franchise she was expected to headline. It’s unknown if Dave Bautista sides with Johansson in this regard, or is simply indifferent to the issue. His tweet is playful, and somehow downplays the severity of the situation; the tone arguably betrays a hint of scorn and perhaps, subtle criticism. Then again, the former WWE superstar is notorious for his wry sense of humor and is possibly only trying to lighten an already contentious public issue. The latter does sound more like Drax.
But now that Dave Bautista brought it up, how would a Drax solo movie even look like and what would it be about? Given the character’s propensity for humor, a slapstick comedy trek across the stars shouldn’t be ruled out. However, Drax the Destroyer scouring the galaxy for an equally charming rogue would only work if our so-called Walking Thesaurus could flex his comedic chops in the process. Otherwise, it would simply be a by-the-numbers action movie with little of the character traits that make Drax as iconic as he is. Another option would be a fun buddy cop; perhaps pair Drax with another muscle-bound whack-job played by another former pro wrestler? John Cena recently made his long-overdue foray into superhero films in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad and what better person to accompany Dave Bautista on this journey to self-actualization than another actor known for being invisible?
Unfortunately, the odds are against Dave Bautista. Drax the Destroyer isn’t a major player in the Marvel Cinematic Universe when matched up against the real heavyweights. It looks like a Drax solo film will forever only exist in our dreams. Besides, without James Gunn, or an equally fun-loving director like Taika Waititi, a Drax feature would be completely lacking in charm and probably wouldn’t be the archetypal golden goose Bautista claimed it would be. Gunn made Drax what he is, hence the character lives — and dies — with his departure from the franchise.
Speaking of James Gunn, the writer, and director of The Suicide Squad is presently filming Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 with Chris Pratt as Peter Quill, Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon, Vin Diesel as Groot, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Karen Gillan as Nebula, and Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer. Zoe Saldana may also make an appearance as Prime Gamora’s Variant. The movie is the last solo Guardians and officially marks the end of Gunn’s participation in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Dave Bautista’s Drax will still feature in Thor: Love and Thunder as part of Thor Odinson’s (Chris Hemsworth) new character arc. Thor notably defected from the Avengers after the events of Endgame; he entrusted New Asgard to Queen Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and promptly joined forces with the Guardians of the Galaxy in anticipation of more adventures. Thor and the Guardians will be squaring off against Gorr the God Butcher, played by The Dark Knight trilogy’s Christian Bale, and teaming up with Jane Foster’s (Natalie Portman) version of Mighty Thor. Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 comes out on May 5, 2023. Thor: Love and Thunder currently has a May 6, 2022 release date.
