AceShowbiz - "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" could mark Dave Bautista's final appearance as Drax the Destroyer. The actor, who has portrayed the character since 2014's "Guardians of the Galaxy", hinted at the end for his on-screen alter ego in a new interview.

Speaking to Digital Spy, the wrestler-turned-actor revealed that his contract with Marvel Studios to play Drax is up with the threequel. "I mean, as far as my obligations, I've got 'Guardians 3', and that's probably going to be the end of Drax," he said.

During the interview, Bautista also addressed previous rumors about a possible spin-off centering on Drax and Mantis (Pom Klementieff). While confirming that the idea was indeed tossed around by "GOTG" director James Gunn, he said that it doesn't seem to go anywhere further at this point.

"There were talks for a while about a Drax and Mantis film. It was really because it was James Gunn's idea. He really wanted to do a Drax and Mantis film," the 52-year-old hunk divulged. "He laid it out to me. I thought it was such a brilliant idea.

Unfortunately, Marvel honchos don't seem to share the same opinion about the spin-off idea. "...but I haven't heard any follow-up from the studio," he added. "I don't think they're very interested, or it doesn't fit into the way they have things mapped out. But other than that, no."

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" may be a swan song not only for Bautista, but also for Gunn. The filmmaker has recently stressed his plan on leaving the franchise after directing the upcoming movie. When a fan asked him on Twitter, "Will this be your last GofG (sic) movie or will there be a 4th one?" Gunn responded, "I'm planning on it being my last."

Before making his possible final appearance as Drax in "GOTG 3" which is slated for a 2023 release, Bautista is set to reprise the role in "Thor: Love and Thunder" which is due out in 2022. He will also reunite with his co-stars in "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" which is going to be released on Disney+ in December 2022.