Former WWE Champion Dave Bautista has been very busy dispatching threats all over the universe as Drax the Destroyer in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’. However, on this week’s broadcast of WWE Monday Night Raw, it was announced that the star would be returning to the company that made him a star.
During their flagship program, the professional wrestling company announced that Batista would make his return to WWE programming on January 20th, which is a week before their annual Royal Rumble pay per view. Sources say that he’ll take part in some high profile storylines leading up to Wrestlemania XXX and beyond, but he should be taking some time off to promote his upcoming Marvel movie.
But why are we taking the time to tell you this? Well, as Comic Book Movie notes, it can only mean good things for Marvel fans and WWE fans alike. For wrestling fans, they get to see one of the most influential characters of the 2000s return for another run to show these young guys what’s up. Maybe we’ll see him take on some up and coming talent like Ryback or Big E Langston. Maybe his return will reignite his classic rivalries with the likes of John Cena or Randy Orton. The possibilities are endless at the moment, but no matter what his role in the company is, it should be pretty exciting. To check out the video promoting the former champ’s return, go ahead and press play below:
As for fans of Marvel’s comics and movies, chances are that the WWE will have access to exclusive TV spots and clips to show it’s legion of viewers, similar to what they do with the various projects involving “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Chris Jericho, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. With James Gunn’s next film being promoted to upwards of 15 million fans every week, chances of the obscure adaptation gaining box office success have gotten better.
If this seems like a weird partnership coming out of nowhere, it’s really not. Marvel and WWE frequently collaborate. Superstars often appear on Marvel.com in interviews and CM Punk even wrote the foreword for the hardback collection of ‘Avengers Vs. X-Men’. And ever since their stars have been making the crossover into mainstream media, they always seem to come back to promote their new projects and the company always welcomes them back with open arms, especially since it’s mutually beneficial to both parties.
Are you excited to see Batista return to the squared circle next month as he comes home to WWE? How much of a presence do you think that Marvel will have when the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ star comes back? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ starring Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Lee Pace, Glenn Close, John C. Reilly, Karen Gillan, Benicio Del Toro, and Michael Rooker blasts off on August 1st, 2014.
