Dave Bautista Says He’s Not the Next Dwayne Johnson: ‘I Just Want to Be a Good Actor’

Dave Bautista has opened up to GQ about his career plans, announcing he won’t be returning to MCU after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

It appears Bautista wants to leave Drax far behind, revealing that he doesn’t want to be tarred with the same brush as fellow WWE stars Dyawne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and John Cena, who he believes have both been typecast as the comedic action man. 

And while we wouldn’t have either of them any other way, that isn’t something Bautista wants for his own acting career, so the upcoming installment of Guardians of the Galaxy might just be his last “silly performance,” as the actor admits he wants to focus on “more dramatic stuff.”

Despite people going crazy over the latest trailer for Vol. 3, Bautista’s latest comments have left fans feeling deflated, as he’s announced he won’t be returning as the beloved character, Drax after this movie.

Speaking to GQ about his decision, Bautista revealed that while he does love the character, he doesn’t want the role to define his career. 

He said: “I’m so grateful for Drax. I love him. 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 Draw to be my legacy.”

He went on to explain that he “never wanted to be the next Rock,” adding: “I just want to be a good f***ing actor. A respected actor.”

And by the looks of things, 2023 is set to be a pretty good year for Bautista’s blossoming career. 

Following the success of Rian Johnson’s Knives Out sequel, Glass Onion, and with the release of Dune: Part Two, as well as M. Night Shyamalan’s anticipated thriller A Knock at the Cabin just around the corner, he’s proving that his efforts haven’t gone in vain.

It’s clear over the last few years, Bautista has tried to distance himself from the other wrestlers-turned-actors. He even shared his thoughts on Johnson’s acting with The Tampa Bay Times back in 2019, calling him a “movie star before he was even a movie star,” adding: “Would I consider him a great actor? F*** no.”

Then again in 2021, Bautista responded bluntly to a tweet asking about a possible collaboration between him, Johnson, and Cena, writing: “Nah I’m good,” and that he didn’t want to be “lumped in” with them. 

It seems his decision came loosely from a conversation he had with the wrestling icon, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.”Before I left WWE, [Steve] pulled me aside and said, ‘You’re going to get offers for horrible scripts. The money will be tempting. Don’t get caught in that trap,’” Bautista revealed to GQ.

This led him to be more “picky and choosy” with the roles he took on. But, as much as he’s eager to leave the character behind, it was playing Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy that really shot him to fame.

Despite that, he shared “There’s a relief [that it’s over].”

He’s excited to look forward, and while discussing A Knock at the Cabin, it’s clear he’s on the right track. “It’s by far the most I’ve ever spoken in a film,” he revealed. “Just huge pages of monologues … It’s a lot of pressure. I want to remember my dialogue, but not at the expense of losing the emotion of the scene.”

We can’t wait to see what he does next!


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