Dave Bautista is a former WWE wrestler turned actor. Although he has appeared in several blockbusters, like 2021’s “Dune” and Zack Snyder’s “Army of the Dead,” he is best known for playing Drax the Destroyer in “Guardians of the Galaxy” and subsequent Marvel films.
Yesterday, director James Gunn posted a photo of the cast teasing the first day of filming.
“It’s been a strange & long & at times challenging journey to get here, but the obstacles along the way have only made this moment more blissful,” he tweeted. “Back on set with my Guardians family for the first day of shooting #gotgvol3.”
Even though the shoot is only beginning, Bautista revealed that he is already not happy with the film’s rigorous filming schedule.
Dave Bautista Reveals That He Is NOT An Early Bird
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In an Instagram Stories video shared early Monday morning, Bautista greeted his followers saying, “Good morning, everyone. It is day one on ‘Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3.’ This will be my sixth appearance as Drax. My sixth Marvel film, and, at this point, 20-something films under my belt.”
Although Gunn seemed excited to get started with filming, Bautista lamented the early hours, saying, “It’s still dark outside.”
“I’m still trying to find out why the f— do films start so early,” he continued.
One of the reasons that Bautista may need to wake up so early is to check in with the make-up trailer, as it takes an extensive amount of time to create Drax’s signature appearance.
Dave Bautista Loves The Cast – His Costume, Not So Much
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Bautista referred to the experience of sitting in the make-up trailer every morning as “traumatizing.” The “My Spy” actor explained that he believes that he is getting more and more sensitive to the makeup as he gets older, making the experience “unbearable.”
“I love the character, but getting in the makeup, it’s just a nightmare,” Bautista explained. “I couldn’t explain how awful it is. I hate to sound like one of those high-maintenance actors, but it’s just traumatizing.”
However, he does appreciate the atmosphere on set, saying that he’s “looking forward to being back with my friends. I like the camaraderie. I’m in a weird place with Drax because I’ve played Drax so many times, I’m on cruise control.”
He added, “Once I’m in it and I’m on set with my friends and making this character come to life and interacting with these characters that I love so much as a fan, it’s all fun and joy.”
Dave Bautista Is Looking To Branch Out Into Other Roles
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Although he may like the atmosphere on set, Bautista is ready to take on other roles. He describes his work on “Dune” as “a relief” because it gave him the opportunity to show off his talents as an actor.
“The thing with this character was it just gave me an opportunity to showcase a different type of performance,” he explained. “I’m not just a guy in ‘Guardians’ walking around shirtless and saying stupid s—. [The role] really just gives me the opportunity to just play these like really, really deep characters. So that’s a blessing.”
Although he has been announced to appear in “In The Lost Lands” and “Universe’s Most Wanted,” which has entered pre-production, co-star Stellan Skarsgård has revealed that he really wants Bautista to star in the highly anticipated “Mamma Mia! 3.”
Although Bautista has yet to say whether he would consider such a role, fans can look forward to Bautista reprising his role as Drax in “Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3,” scheduled for a theatrical release on May 23, 2023.