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While there are a ton of franchises within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy stands out as a fan favorite. But both Gunn and the current cast are expected to end their run with the upcoming Vol. 3, leading to some questions about whether or not the roles could be recast. And Drax creator Jim Starlin recently weighed on the possibility of the Guardian being recast.
Dave Bautista’s career was changed after he debuted as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy, chewing the scenery whenever he's on screen. While he’ll appear in the Guardians animated series and Jame Gunn’s upcoming threequel, Bautista has hinted that he’s ready to wrap up his time, and take the pressure off of being shirtless in every scene. Jim Starlin has now reacted to the idea of recasting the hero, saying:
I can understand hitting 54 and not wanting to take your shirt off anymore... The Marvel Universe is going to keep trucking along and they found that they have made money on cosmic stuff. So they will more than likely are going to do more of it. There may be another Drax down the line; somebody else who hopefully has half the comedic timing of Bautista.
He’s got a point. Marvel Studios has been putting a ton of stock in its cosmic stories, with projects like Captain Marvel, Secret Invasion, and obviously Guardians of the Galaxy. As such, Jim Starlin doesn’t think the idea of recasting Drax to be all that crazy. Although the difficult part would be trying to find someone who nailed it quite as much as Dave Bautista.
Jim Starlin’s comments to Inverse is a pretty realistic take on the future of the Guardians of the Galaxy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While it’s hard to imagine anyone but Dave Bautista in the role, seemingly anything is possible within the superhero genre. Of course, I wonder how Bautista might feel about another actor playing his signature role.
Marvel fans can re-watch Dave Bautista’s time in the MCU on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.
The cast of Guardians of the Galaxy seems key to the franchise’s success, because James Gunn’s original 2014 movie introduced the motley crew of heroes to most audiences for the very first time. Dave Bautista is synonymous with Drax, so the idea of recasting is certainly one that would turn a few heads.
Fans are eager to see how the story plays out in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, especially considering how much changed for the team throughout the course of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. The team was hit hard by Thanos’ assault, where he killed Gamora to procure the Infinity Stone. Plus Star-Lord, Drax, Mantis, and Groot were all dusted and gone for five years.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is currently set to arrive in theaters on May 5th, 2023. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
