Remember that thing we said last month about "Game of Thrones" alum Jason Momoa being cast
in "Guardians of the Galaxy"? Yeah, forget all of that -- it's actually
WWE wrestler and mixed martial artist Dave Bautista who has signed on to the unofficial biggest hard-sell of Marvel's Phase Two Films.
"Guardians of the Galaxy" follows
the adventures of American astronaut Peter Quill, the son of an alien
father and human mother who is reinvented as 'Star-Lord' when he joins
up with a team of strange superheroes from another dimension: Drax the
Destroyer, a slain human resurrected as a green warrior with the sole
purpose of killing Thanos (the mystery character in the scene before the
shawarma bit in "The Avengers");
Groot, a giant walking, talking tree; Rocket Raccoon, a genetically
engineered animal with a love for guns n' bombs; and Gamora, the sole
surviving member of a race of peace-loving humanoid aliens whose
seemingly contradictory assassin abilities have earned her the title of
The Deadliest Woman in the Universe.
[Related: 'Ant-Man' and 'Doctor Strange' will lead the charge for Marvel's Phase Three]
Dave Bautista will be playing the
role of -- you guessed it -- Drax the Destroyer, a part for which it
seemed like Jason Momoa was all but locked. Apparently, Bautista has
been in the mix for the character since late last year, along with
Isaiah Mustafa and Patrick Wade, and is now officially the second actor
to sign on for the project, joining "Parks and Recreation" star Chris
Pratt as Quill/Star-Lord.
Dave Bautista has been a
professional wrestler since the turn of the century, best known for his
time with WWE Entertainment, where he performed under the ring name
"Batista" and aligned himself with wrestling veteran Ric Flair. He only
recently segued into the world of acting, appearing as Argomael in the
direct-to-video (and Dwayne Johnson-less) "The Scorpion King 3: Battle
For Redemption" (2012) and as Brass Body in RZA's "The Man with the Iron
Fists" (2012). He'll be seen later this year facing off with Vin Diesel
in "Riddick," opening September 6.
"Guardians of the Galaxy" will hit theaters on August 1, 2014 as the final Phase Two Marvel film before "The Avengers" reunite in May 2015.
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