Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) might have given us this generation's answer to Han Solo, and Groot (Vin Diesel) may have danced his way into our hearts, but Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) was another one of the many positives featured in James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy. Bautista obviously had the physique to handle the film's action sequences, but he also possessed an uncanny sense of comedic timing - allowing the character to (literally) become a walking meme machine.

With the film earning rave reviews from critics and rising up the charts to become the highest-grossing movie of the year domestically, it shouldn't come as any surprise that Marvel is looking forward to giving audiences more Guardians. A sequel has already been slated for a July 2017 release, and if a new report is to be believed, the lovable rogues could be joining Earth's Mightiest Heroes in a crossover that would break the Internet.

The wrestling site PW Mania did a breakdown on Bautista's new role in the MCU (he was a wrestler prior to becoming Drax), and in it, they say that the studio is in the process of restructuring his deal due to the success Guardians saw. Bautista will obviously be back on board for Guardians of the Galaxy 2, but this article also notes that his contract includes a "significant" role in The Avengers 3.

Guardians of the Galaxy and The Avengers Movie Team-Up

This isn't the first time we've heard rumblings of a Guardians/Avengers team-up. Shortly after Marvel's space odyssey broke August box office records, director Gunn mentioned that he's talked about the "possibilities" of a crossover with the powers that be at Marvel Studios. He went as far to say that since the two groups exist in the same universe, they would be, "likely... to run into each other."

At first glance, the cosmic Guardians and Earth-bound Avengers don't seem to have that much connective tissue, but there is one major thread in the MCU that could tie everything together: The Mad Titan, Thanos. Josh Brolin's villain is slowly being revealed to be the big bad to threaten the world in The Avengers 3 and Guardians already showcased his connection to those characters. It's very much in the realm of possibility that all the heroes will join forces to take Thanos down.

Thanos Throne in Guardians of the Galaxy

It's been rumored that Avengers 3 won't be in theaters until 2018 at the earliest, so if this dream team was to come into fruition, we still have years to wait. That said, Marvel allegedly has their cinematic universe planned out through 2028 - meaning that they're already taking a hard look to the future. If the discussions Gunn's been having are really taking place, it's likely that this is one of the projects on the table.

As fans of both Guardians and The Avengers, we can only hope that's the case. With so many fan-favorite characters to feature, there will no doubt be many memorable scenes; both in action terms and character interactions. Knowing Marvel's humor gene, it wouldn't be surprising to see a bit where Captain America teases Star-Lord about his pop culture knowledge.

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 will be in theaters July 27, 2017.

Follow Chris on Twitter @ChrisAgar90.

Source: PW Mania