Dave Bautista Jokes That Drax Should Get A Solo Movie if Jared Leto's Joker Does

Screen Rant

By Dan Zinski

Published Jun 6, 2018

Guardians of the Galaxy actor Dave Bautista jokes that Drax should get a solo movie of his own since Jared Leto's Joker is getting one.

After news emerged that Jared Leto's Joker will get his own standalone movie within the Suicide Squad universe, Guardians of the Galaxy star Dave Bautista posted on Twitter that his character Drax should also get his own solo movie. With the future of the DCEU looking somewhat murky, Warner Bros. and DC appear to have settled on at least one strategy: cranking out movies centered around villains.

Already in development is a Birds of Prey movie featuring Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn. Stories too have circulated of a possible Joker origin film starring Joaquin Phoenix. And there have also been reports of a possible Harley Quinn-Joker two-hander. Now, throw into the mix a Suicide Squad spinoff featuring Jared Leto's somewhat divisive version of the Joker.

Guardians of the Galaxy actor Dave Bautista, who plays the hulking, literal-minded, sweet-natured Drax in the MCU franchise and in this summer's Avengers: Infinity War, took note of the latest solo movie being peddled by Warner Bros. and had his own idea. What about a whole movie built around the character of Drax? Bautista tweeted out his idea:

Guardians director James Gunn was quick to get in on the fun by replying that he's trying to get Bautista on the phone:

Of course Bautista is only joking about the possibility of Drax getting a standalone movie. Though Drax surely makes a good comedic sidekick in ensemble films like Guardians and Infinity War, he almost certainly would not work as a solo performer in a story built around him. Then again, it's arguable that a Joker standalone movie won't work for much the same reason. The two most memorable cinematic incarnations of Joker - Jack Nicholson in Batman and Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight - worked in large part because the character was pitted directly against Batman, filling his true function as a villain. It's somewhat difficult to imagine Joker working in his own movie without a strong hero like Batman to go up against.

Another possible issue with the Joker movie concept is Jared Leto's portrayal, which in Suicide Squad was considered by many to be way off-base. Of course, Leto's performance and look can always be toned down for the future movie, in hopes of dialing in a Joker portrayal that allows the actor to be creative without totally deviating from what people recognize and enjoy about the character.

Arguably, the Jared Leto Joker standalone is another example of DC not really knowing what they want to do with their movies and just throwing ideas against the wall to see what will stick. Meanwhile, the MCU just keeps chugging along, following their plan. A plan that almost certainly does not, and never will, include a Drax standalone movie (apologies to Bautista).