Drax the Destroyer and Mantis could have starred in their ownGuardians of the Galaxyspinoff if James Gunn would have gotten his way. Currently, Gunn is preparing to start shootingGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3later this year. Dave Bautista and Pom Klementieff will both return as Drax and Mantis, respectively, though they’ll first be seen making a special appearance in the upcoming Marvel sequelThor: Love and Thunder.
In a new interview with Digital Spy,Dave Bautistasuggested thatGuardians 3would be his final movie as Drax the Destroyer. He also spoke about a planned spinoff movie that Gunn had in mind for Drax and Mantis. While Bautista thought the idea was “brilliant,” it ultimately never came to be, seemingly because Marvel wasn’t interested. From the interview:
“There were talks for a while about a Drax and Mantis film. It was really because it was James Gunn’s idea. He really wanted to do aDrax and Mantisfilm. He laid it out to me. I thought it was such a brilliant idea, but I haven’t heard any follow-up from the studio. I don’t think they’re very interested, or it doesn’t fit into the way they have things mapped out. But other than that, [there are no other plans for Drax]. I mean, as far as my obligations, I’ve got Guardians 3, and that’s probably going to be the end of Drax.”
Also in the interview, Bautista addressed how he nearly worked withJames Gunnagain onThe Suicide Squad. It’s not clear who he would have played, but Gunn had apparently written a small role for Bautista. Unfortunately, Bautista had to make a choice when the offer came along to star in Zack Snyder’sArmy of the Deadfor Netflix, and the Drax actor ended up pulling out of Gunn’s movie.
“I had The Suicide Squad where I got to work with my boy again, even though it’s a smaller role, and then I had Army of the Dead on which I get to work with Zack, I get to build a relationship with Netflix, I get a lead role in a great film - and I get paid a lot more money. I had to call James, and I told him, ‘It breaks my heart, because as a friend, I want to be there with you, but professionally, this is the smart decision for me.’ He said, ‘I completely get it. I’m proud of you that you’re even in this position. I’m proud that I had something to do with you being in this position where you have to make these hard decisions.'”
Drax and Mantis can next be seen on the big screen whenThor: Love and Thunderpremieres on June 03, 2025.They’ll then appear in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Specialon Disney+ in late 2022 beforeGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3arrives on July 23, 2025. As for Bautista, fans can catch him in Zack Snyder’s zombie movieArmy of the Deadthis month when it hits Netflix on May 14. This news comes to us fromDigital Spy.
