Dave Bautista told Screen Rant what he hopes to do with Drax the Destroyer in future installments of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Bautista surprised a lot of people when he stole scenes as Drax in the first Guardians of the Galaxy, and he’s reportedly blowing people’s minds in early screenings of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. He’s described as “a hoot” in one of many glowing early reactions to the sequel.

Drax took on Ronan by himself in one of Guardians of the Galaxy’s more memorable action scenes, but didn’t fare so well. Still, Drax knows that it’s really Thanos (Josh Brolin) he needs to kill. He won’t get Thanos in Vol. 2 - but with Guardians of the Galaxy 3 already green-lit and director James Gunn still writing/directing, and with Drax and the rest of the Guardians expected to appear in Avengers: Infinity War, Bautista is holding out hope that Drax ends up getting the fight with Thanos that he desires.

Screen Rant spoke with Bautista at a recent press event for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and the actor shared what he hopes to happen with Drax in both Guardians of the Galaxy 3 and Avengers: Infinity War. Bautista is interested in the prospects of Drax taking on Thanos by himself, but ultimately has faith that Gunn will figure out what’s best for the character moving forward.

"Personally I'd love to see him go head to head with Thanos. I'd love to see that. I've always been a proponent for that. You now, they're just really brilliant about their writing. James Gunn has so much, well, he'll have complete creative control over Guardians 3 and he has tons of input as far as Guardians go on in Infinity War, so I just trust in him, man. I do completely."

Bautista memorably says at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy: “Of course Ronan was only a puppet. It's really Thanos that I need to kill.” That one comment could set the stage for a potential future battle between the two characters, whether it’s a part of Infinity War or Vol. 3. But regardless of who Drax encounters moving forward, Bautista can be relied upon to continue delivering as one of the MCU's breakout characters.

Bautista as Drax is undoubtedly one of the funniest new performances in the MCU, and should continue to be so in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. But Drax's desire to fight Thanos one-on-one is what ultimately drives the character - and keeps him from being mere comic relief. As funny as Bautista can be in the role, it could be something of a letdown if he never gets his chance to take on Thanos. But with at least two more movies planned for the character, there’s a good chance that he will.

Stay tuned for Screen Rant's full interview with Dave Bautista coming later this week!

Next: Guardians of the Galaxy 2 Has 5 Post-Credits Scenes