Why Marvel Can't Recast Drax After Guardians 3 (Despite Bautista's Exit)

Screen Rant

By Rick Stevenson

Updated Apr 9, 2023

Dave Bautista has announced that he'll be leaving the MCU after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Here's why it would be a huge mistake to recast Drax.

Dave Bautista has said that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be his final film playing Drax the Destroyer, but Marvel Studios recasting Drax wouldn’t make sense. The Guardians of the Galaxy franchise owes its success to the chemistry of its ensemble cast, each of whom bring something unique to their appearances. From Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord and Zoe Saldaña’s Gamora, to Bradley Cooper’s vocal performance as Rocket and Vin Diesel’s voice role as Groot, the Guardians have been beloved by moviegoers since their debut. Last seen in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, Bautista’s Drax is as much a part of that success as any other cast member.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 being the last of Bautista's MCU adventures means this should also mark the character's last MCU outing, as it's difficult to imagine anyone else playing Drax after Bautista delivered such a unique and memorable performance. Though Bautista worked in the industry for years prior to the first Guardians' release, James Gunn's MCU debut is what cemented him as a major Hollywood star, and it’s the role many fans now immediately associate with the actor. Drax is a unique character with a highly specific persona, and casting anyone to fill that role in Bautista's wake would just be setting them up for failure.

Bautista Made Recasting Drax Impossible

Drax fighting enemies in Guardians of the Galaxy

Although major recasts were easier in the early days of the MCU, with Terrence Howard being replaced by Don Cheadle as James "Rhodey" Rhodes, and Mark Ruffalo taking over from Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, a.k.a. the Hulk, this pattern has dipped as the MCU has only grown stronger. Most major roles in the MCU are continuously played by the same actor. Marvel Studios even made the decision not to recast T'Challa following Chadwick Boseman's 2020 death, though Harrison Ford is set to debut as General Ross in Captain America: New World Order in the place of the late William Hurt, who portrayed the character since The Incredible Hulk.

Recasting Drax in the MCU would be much more difficult, though, as viewers associate him so clearly with Bautista's magnetic performance. Considering the dark and somber tone of the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 trailers, it's possible that Drax could be one of potentially several major characters who meet their end in the upcoming film, perhaps giving him the conclusion he deserves, while also avoiding the problem of a recast. There are plenty of characters in the MCU who could fill the Drax-shaped void in future films, allowing Bautista’s legacy as Drax to go untarnished by a recast.

Will Drax Die In Guardians Of The Galaxy 3?

Unfortunately, there is a real possibility that Drax will die in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, as the trailers for Gunn's final MCU film carry a real sense of finality. However, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special showed how much potential Drax still has, despite having had only two brief appearances in the MCU's Phase 4. It could be smart to keep Drax around for future events such as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. In any case, if Bautista's decision to leave the MCU is final, Drax dying in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 would be infinitely better than recasting the role.