Why is Dave Bautista leaving the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise?

Dave Bautista has become a force in Hollywood since he was cast as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy.

Dave Bautista, aka Batista, is one of the most beloved Marvel superheroes, acting in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies as Drax The Destroyer.

However, it appears the former WWE Superstar has confirmed he will be leaving the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise after the third movie that's yet to be released. Talking to Ellen DeGeneres, Bautista revealed that given his age, he is becoming more self-conscious of his appearance, which is why Drax's shirtless look is one of the reasons he wants to stop acting as the beloved character.

"I'm going to be 54 years old by the time Guardians 3 comes out," he told DeGeneres about why he'll no longer play Drax the Destroyer. "The shirtless thing is getting harder and harder for me."

Dave Bautista also had another reason, stating that James Gunn was probably stepping away from the Guardians of the Galaxy movies after the third installment. He said if Gunn was no longer directing, he didn't have as much of a reason to stay anymore.

"James Gunn has already announced it's his last film, and when James is done, I'm done." Bautista continued, "The journey has come full circle and I'm just ready to step aside and wrap it up."

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How Dave Bautista's role as Drax The Destroyer in Guardians of the Galaxy saved him

Currently, Dave Bautista is one of the most famous actors in the world, and his role as Drax has a lot to do with it. The audience connected with the humorous character and Drax became an instant hit upon the release of the first movie.

But before his Guardians of the Galaxy role, Bautista was not doing so well. He struggled to make it in Hollywood after his career in WWE. In fact, at one point, he was completely broke.

"So Drax didn't just change my career. It literally changed the trajectory of my life. My life just got better and I just became more successful," Bautista said of his role as Drax. "And that's when things really just started to seem like surreal. It wasn't many years [earlier] when I was just like borrowing money to pay for food, pay for rent. Borrow money to buy my kids Christmas presents. It wasn't long before all that stuff [had happened]."

Now, Dave Bautista still has two Marvel films to star in as Drax The Destroyer. He will play the character in Thor: Love and Thunder, and the final installment of Guardians of the Galaxy.

The superstar found success elsewhere as well and has acted in Knives Out 2, Dune, among other films, as one of the more popular actors in Hollywood.