About two months ago while the search for the actor to play Star-Lord in Marvel’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ was getting quite heated, the casting process for another character on the team began to pick up steam as well. A shortlist was formed for potential candidates to fill the shoes of Drax the Destroyer, the human-souled alien warrior with the powers to defeat Thanos. With a list consisting of Isaiah Mustafa, Dave Bautista, and Brian Patrick Wade, there were some very strong options for James Gunn’s Drax. But shortly after the list was released, Jason Momoa of ‘Game of Thrones’ became the frontrunner and was offered the role. However, the former Khal Drogo turned the role down, leaving it open for another man to step in. Well, it appears that the right man has been found.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Dave Bautista, AKA former WWE Champion Dave ‘The Animal’ Bautista, will be joining Chris Pratt for Marvel’s Phase Two sci-fi adventure. After leaving the WWE in 2010, Bautista tried his hand at mixed martial arts before following many wrestlers before him to the film industry. Though he appeared in some small roles here and there over the years, the six-time world champion really came into the spotlight when he appeared in Universal Studios’ ‘The Man with the Iron Fists’ directed by RZA and starring Russell Crowe. Following that performance, he joined the cast of the new movie ‘Riddick’ starring Vin Diesel which hit theaters in September.
Bautista isn’t the first WWE alum to star in major motion pictures. We’ve all seen Hulk Hogan, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, and John Cena star in various movies, but none have come close to the success of current WWE Champion Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who’s latest film, ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’, comes out later this month. Not that Bautista is on the same level as the Rock just yet, but starring in this Marvel movie, and probably appearing in more in the future, isn’t a bad start to getting there.
Now that we have our Star-Lord and our Drax the Destroyer, there are still a few more Guardians left to be selected. Of those, it was rumored that Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler may be tapped to play Rocket Raccoon or Groot, though Carrey has recently denied those rumors. As for the assassin Gamora, there’s no word as to what actress may step into the role yet.
What do you think about Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer? He definitely has the look down, does he not? Let us know what you think in the usual place.
James Gunn’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ starring Chris Pratt and Dave Bautista is scheduled for release on August 1st, 2014.
