According to James Gunn, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 3’ might be the end of the series. Along with it, resident Drax Dave Bautista has said that his story might be coming to an end too. MCU will surely regret the loss of the Guardians and Drax, but it is ready to move on.
James Gunn told interviewers that ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 3’ might be the last Guardians film. MCU is moving on from the Guardians and saying goodbye to the people in it. In particular, Bautista has remarked that he would not continue in the role of Drax anymore. What does it mean for MCU?
Highlights —
- ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 3’ might be the last Guardians film
- Dave Bautista might leave MCU for good
- What happens to the MCU after the Guardians move on
WHAT A BUNCH OF A-HOLES
The first ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ was one of the best films on the MCU slate. It was a fresh movie with catchy songs and a comedic sense of humour that was a cut above the rest. With Peter Quill’s adventure as a space pirate came a batch of iconic characters like Drax the Destroyer, Groot, and Rocket Racoon.

However, unlike the Avengers, Guardians always explicitly had a Thanos plot. The Titan ravaged Drax’s home planet, and he was left wanting revenge. Something he achieved in ‘Avengers; Endgame’. Quill was distraught after Thanos killed his wife, and he is reaching the end of his story. While all the characters have had a good run on the silver screen, Gunn thinks that the third movie might be enough to wrap up all of the threads and say goodbye to the series once and for all. While not so pessimistic about the entire series, even Bautista has revealed that he does not see Drax as a character going forward since his entire character arc is over.
BAUTISTA AND MCU
Drax might be one of the best characters in all of MCU. Bautista’s character and comedic chops made Drax into an icon channelled into calls for a Drax spin-off. Since the recent years have seen many changes, Bautista does not see a future with the Guardians and with Drax.
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MCU has mostly concluded the Guardian storyline with the known universe being made irrelevant in the current slate of movies. Guardians get only one film in the Slate 4. Most fans were also disappointed that no spin-offs will be forthcoming.
While Groot and Rocket, being fan-favourites, and other Guardian members might live on as side characters, the chances are that the third movie would be the end of the main series. The team might be called in to work with the new Avengers from time to time and fight the giant sinister evils of the universe, but they will likely not become a fixture of the universe as Iron Man or Captain America was.
Dave Bautista’s Marvel future was in doubt the moment he signed onto ‘Army of the Dead’. The Snyder feature where he plays the primary role has sequels planned, and Bautista will have a tough time managing his time around for MCU alongside the meatier roles in ‘Army of the Dead’. Given that MCU has a tight schedule, it is the right time to end Dave Bautista’s Drax role.
THE FUTURE OF MCU
MCU Slate 4 will deal with the multiverse. With new things coming up like Shang-Chi, Doctor Strange’s Multiverse move, and the Eternals, the ragtag group of Guardians do not fit in. Usually, Dave Bautista’s Marvel future would not be up for debate. He has pulled out an iconic role as a side character and was in a prime position for a solo movie.
But, given that the famous wrestler and actor has moved onto other movie series and wants more meaty roles in the upcoming years, it makes sense for MCU to stop following. MCU intends to move into the multiverse and the darker areas of the universe.
This would mean far more dangerous foes than the Guardians would usually face. Even though a character like Groot and Rocket Racoon can play roles in the wider MCU, they won’t be the face of the multiverse.
In light of this, the end of Dave Bautista’s Drax role makes sense. MCU is moving on, and so should Bautista.
James Gunn has said that he thinks ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 3’ would be the last movie. Bautista has also clarified that he does not believe the character can continue with the ending of his character arc. With both Bautista and the Guardians out of the main story, it is time for Drax to move onto meatier roles, like the one in ‘Army of the Dead’ where he plays the main action character.
