Dave Bautista says he’s relieved at no longer playing Drax in Marvel’s cinematic universe and is looking forward to more serious roles.
His tenure as the human-turned-warrior Drax the Destroyer ends in the third instalment of the “Guardian of the Galaxy” movies.
“I’m so grateful for Drax. I love him,” the actor said in an interview with GQ. “But there’s a relief [that it’s over]. 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 will be getting his most sizable speaking role to date in M. Night Shyamalan’s “Knock at the Cabin” and an expanded role in Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” sequel.
He said of Shyamalan’s new thriller, “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.”
He adds that working with Villeneuve, particularly in a leading role, is one of his goals for a very specific reason.
“If I could be a number one [on the callsheet] with Denis, I would do it for fucking free,” he said. “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.”
“Dune: Part Two” will mark Bautista’s third Villeneuve movie after “Blade Runner 2049” and “Dune.”
