If Marvel Studios and Disney had their way, Dave Bautista might not have been cast as Drax the Destroyer in Guardians of the Galaxy. In the wake of the astounding success of 2012’s The Avengers, Marvel Studios was seen as untouchable. To this day, a new MCU film is seen as a veritable license to print money. However, the studio took risks to get where they are, from announcing their plans for a connected cinematic universe without heavy hitters like Spider-Man, The X-Men, or the Fantastic Four, to the surprise announcement of Guardians of the Galaxy, a film based on a lesser-known team. These risks paid off big time in the end, but it was not always a guaranteed success.
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In the lead-up to the August 2014 release of Guardians of the Galaxy, the film industry was gearing up for what many were expecting to be the first financial flop from Marvel Studios. The film was from a (then) relatively unknown director with no commercial hits to his name; it starred Chris Pratt, an untested leading man who was best known as the chubby funny guy from NBC’s Parks & Recreation; and the two biggest stars in the movie, Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper, were only lending their voices to the project. The naysayers were all proven wrong when the film grossed an astounding $772 million worldwide, far surpassing even the most generous of expectations.
A huge part of the film’s success came down to the chemistry between its leads, a motley crew of misfits who find a family with each other. It’s hard to imagine any other actors playing characters like Gamora, Star-Lord, and the rest, but James Gunn revealed via Twitter that he had to fight particularly hard to make sure Dave Bautista would play the role of Drax the Destroyer. Replying to a fan’s question about the matter, Gunn stated that he had to fight to cast Bautista, but that “it was the most worthy fight I’ve ever fought.”
Perhaps Marvel Studios wanted a more famous actor in the role. By 2014, Bautista had appeared in movies like Riddick and The Man with the Iron Fists, but he was far from a household name, and relatively unknown outside of wrestling fan circles. Nevertheless, Bautista proved himself with Guardians, instantly becoming a breakout star in a film packed to the brim with breakout stars. James Gunn knew he had something special on his hands with Bautista, even if Marvel Studios and Disney couldn’t see it at the time.
Drax and the rest of the Guardians were last seen in Avengers: Endgame, and are expected to appear in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and possibly Thor: Love and Thunder. Meanwhile, Bautista’s role in the MCU has led to him becoming a legitimate movie star, with supporting turns in Blade Runner 2049 and Spectre, as well as leading roles in films such as Stuber, My Spy, and Zack Snyder’s upcoming Netflix film, Army of the Dead.
Source: James Gunn via Twitter
