Dave Bautista says it’s a “relief” the Guardians Of The Galaxy franchise is coming to end, calling his performance in the hit movie “silly”.

The 53-year-old, who plays Drax the Destroyer in the films, says he now wants to be seen as a serious actor.

The third instalment of the Marvel franchise, which is directed by James Gunn, is expected to be its last.

Bautista told GQ Magazine: “I’m so grateful for Drax. I love him. But there’s a relief [that it’s over]. It wasn’t all pleasant. It was hard playing that role. The makeup process was beating me down. And I just don’t know if I want Drax to be my legacy- it’s a silly performance, and I want to do more dramatic stuff.”

He has previously said Marvel “dropped the ball” with the character of Drax, an intergalactic criminal with a heart of gold, not fully developing the character or making enough of his backstory.

The ex-pro wrestler was one of World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) biggest stars (under his ring name Batista), but like wrestlers Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and John Cena before him, he worked his way from the ring to the big screen.

But the star says he never intended to emulate his wrestling contemporaries’ careers, instead trying to carve out his own path.

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“I never wanted to be the next Rock. I just want to be a good f***ing actor. A respected actor.”

He added: “Honestly, I could give a f*** [about being a film star],” he says. “I don’t live a great big glamorous life. I live here in Tampa. I don’t care about the spotlight, I don’t care about fame. I just want to be a better actor. I want respect from my peers.

“I don’t need accolades – I really don’t, man. It’s about the experience, about knowing that I accomplished something.”

After working his way up the acting ladder, he’s now worked with directors including Denis Villeneuve, Rian Johnson, Sam Mendes.

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Aside from Guardian’s, Bautista is getting plenty of exposure this year, currently starring in Netflix’s Knives Out sequel Glass Onion, and with a lead role in M Night Shyalaman thriller A Knock At The Cabin due out next month.

He’ll finish the year with his third Villeneuve movie, Dune: Part Two. His expanded role follows his appearance in the 2021 remake, and performance in 2017 film Blade Runner 2049.

Guardians Of The Galaxy: Volume 3, also starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel, comes to cinemas in May.

Knock At The Cabin will be out in cinemas in February, and Dune: Part Two hits the screen in November.

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