Dave Bautista talks Drax and Guardians of the Galaxy

by W. Andrew Powell

Dave Bautista is not quite what you might expect, whether you know him as a WWE champion wrestler, or as the tough guy in films like Riddick, The Man with the Iron Fists, or now Drax in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.

Bautista is charming, well-spoken, welcoming, and he was happy to chat about the fact that when he went out for the role of Drax, he was a bundle of nerves when he got his second callback.

“I was terrified,” Bautista said. “The night before, I didn’t sleep, I was just in a bad mood because I was so nervous, and [then] I went in and met with [director] James [Gunn], and he just made me laugh right off the bat and feel comfortable with him right off the bat.”

The character of Drax, is also not quite what you might expect for your average super-powered brute with a macho attitude. Drax’s story has some heartache, and he’s on a mission because of that pain in his past. Speaking to Bautista, I asked him if Drax became the tough guy because of that pain, or if he always was the guy we see in the film.

“No, I’m sure that Drax was always a tough guy,” Bautista said with a laugh. “I hope one day that they really kind of dive into Drax’s past and you get to learn more about him.”

“No, but I think you’re right,” Bautista continued. “I think a lot of his pain now is channelled towards revenge really because he’s heart broken, and he’s heart broken because he lost his wife and his daughter, but I think that’s what gives him the heart. But he’s definitely a tough guy and he’s always been a tough guy, but now I think you see his pain.”

Watch the full interview above to find out more about Drax, how Bautista took on Drax’s sense of humour, and what it was like working with Gunn.

Guardians of the Galaxy opens in theatres on August 1, 2014.

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