Dave Bautista is ready to surrender his blades when his final turn as Drax the Destroyer comes later this year. The wrestler-turned-actor is racking up roles left and right, showing the world he’s got range one compelling character at a time. Bautista appears in Rian Johnson’s Knives Out sequel, Glass Onion, and will soon approach one of his most significant roles for M. Night Shyamalan’s Knock at the Cabin. In other words, the box office behemoth is making moves. He’s ready to retire from the MCU, which has painted him an insensitive hulk for the past decade. Bautista is prepared to move on and doesn’t want Drax to be his legacy.
Speaking with GQ Magazine, Bautista expresses his gratitude for Drax but admits he’s ready to conquer more dramatic roles. “I’m so grateful for Drax. I love him. But there’s a relief [that it’s over],” Bautista told the outlet. “It wasn’t all pleasant. It was hard playing that role. The makeup process was beating me down. And I just don’t know if I want Drax to be my legacy — it’s a silly performance, and I want to do more dramatic stuff.”
Bautista is looking forward to showing Hollywood what he’s made of by approaching different types of projects in 2023. Shyamalan’s Knock at the Cabin gives Bautista his most significant speaking role, which is an excellent way to show off his dramatic chops. “It’s by far the most I’ve ever spoken in a film. Just huge pages of monologues. We were shooting on film, which is very expensive. And we were shooting with one camera, so you don’t have the luxury of edits. It’s your only opportunity — you need a perfect take. It’s a lot of pressure. I want to remember my dialogue, but not at the expense of losing the emotion of the scene.”
Bautista continued to speak with GQ and touched on his work with Denis Villeneuve. The duo has done three projects: Blade Runner 2049, Dune, and the upcoming Dune: Part Two. Bautista loves filming with Villeneuve so much he says he’d work with him for free. “If I could be a number one [on the callsheet] with Denis, I would do it for fucking free. I think that’s how I could find out how good I could be. He brings out the best in me. He sees me in a different light, sees the performer that I want to be. That might be how I solve the puzzle.”
“Honestly, I could give a fuck [about being a movie star],” Bautista adds. “I don’t live a great big glamorous life. I live here in Tampa. I don’t care about the spotlight, I don’t care about fame. I just want to be a better actor. I want respect from my peers. I don’t need accolades — I really don’t, man. It’s about the experience, about knowing that I accomplished something.”
I suspect we’ll see big things from Bautista this year, and I’ve no doubt he’ll impress everyone with his range and passion. Bring it on, big man!
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