Now that Guardians of the Galaxy 3 has an official release date, more information is coming to light about the upcoming MCU film. One such tidbit is that actor Dave Bautista is apparently retiring from the role following the release of the third film. While some fans have speculated that the character will outright die in the new movie, Bautista insists that Drax will live on. More specifically, he seems to have implied that the iconic character will simply be recast following the release of Guardians of the Galaxy 3.
As stated by Dave Bautista himself on Twitter:
“Drax isn’t going anywhere. He just won’t be played by this dude!”
https://twitter.com/DaveBautista/status/1390837973898440708?s=20
Interestingly, James Gunn did give the following response to Bautista’s statement:
“There’s no Drax for me without you, buddy! You ARE the MCU’s Drax the Destroyer and, as far as I’m concerned, could never be replaced. And you have the right to do whatever you want with your acting choices!”
https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1390857505560043526?s=20
Of course, at the rate these Guardians films are released, it does seem like a possibility that anything could change by the time a potential fourth installment is released. As such, it should be considered that there is a chance Drax could indeed be recast with a new actor after Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is released. After all, Marvel has recast characters in the past such as Bruce Banner. On the other hand, there could be ways for writing it into the story – like giving Drax a new body (something that has happened on occasion in the original comics) or even introducing a new Drax from the multiverse. It all depends on how the MCU is handled in the near future, and what exactly plans for Guardians of the Galaxy could end up being following the release of the third entry.
The upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is scheduled for a May 5, 2023 release date.