Guardians of the Galaxy star Dave Bautista will not voice Drax in Marvel Studios' upcoming animated series What If…? When asked why he won't provide the voice of the Guardians of the Galaxy character, Bautista revealed that it wasn't his decision.
The first episode of What If…?is set to premiere on Disney Plus in August and while a number of familiar Marvel voices are set to reprise their roles, there are some big names still missing. Unfortunately, Bautista is one of them, but it turns out his absence isn't necessarily because he didn't want to be part of the series.
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When a fan asked Bautista why he wouldn't be voicing Guardians of the Galaxy favorite Drax, the actor responded with a surprising announcement. In response to the fan, Bautista insisted that he was never asked to be a part of What If…? The confession caught Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn off guard, who seemed just as surprised as fans. As someone who thinks highly of Bautista in the role, Gunn replied with a surprised, "What," to Bautista's admission. Even though Bautista won't appear in the series, there are a number of other Marvel stars set to appear. Hayley Atwell will reprise her role as Peggy Carter, Sebastian Stan returns as Bucky Barnes, Tom Hiddleston voices Loki, and Josh Brolin is back as Thanos. One of the more memorable aspects of the casting lineup is Chadwick Boseman's final performance in the MCU as Black Panther.
While there are certainly a number of familiar faces returning, What If…? has the potential to leaves room for a number of new faces to join the mix. One of them is Jeffrey Wright, who will serve as The Watcher in a narrator-like role. With each episode set to explore a different reality, the possibilities of what to expect are endless. What If…? comics circulated in the late '70s and early '80s, and they certainly give Marvel more than a few ideas to explore. But, MCU creatives are likely to go far beyond that.
Bryan Andrews, who directed the first episode of the series, has worked on a number of Marvel projects, including Avengers: Endgame. What If…? will be head writer A.C. Bradley's first time working with Marvel. These two, along with the other creatives involved, are likely to bring something brand new to the MCU.
It's unfortunate that not all the beloved Marvel heroes and villains will be able to appear in the series and Bautista will certainly be missed. With big names like him missing from the roster, it leaves a big gap for rising heroes, fresh faces, and previously neglected storylines to soar.
What If…? will begin streaming on Disney Plus on August 11, 2021.
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Source: Dave Bautista
