Dave Bautista Relieved To Be Leaving Guardians Of The Galaxy Behind

Without the role of "Drax the Destroyer," there's no telling where Dave Bautista's acting career may have ended up. And though the former pro wrestler's casting in "Guardians of the Galaxy" launched him into Rolodexes across Hollywood, the actor told GQ in a new story about his career change Wednesday that he's looking forward to leaving the Marvel movie franchise behind.

"I'm so grateful for Drax," the former WWE champion told GQ. "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."

Bautista, who won six world championships during his decade-long run with WWE, is gearing up for a monumental calendar year with several high-profile films, including the final "Guardians" movie, "Dune: Part Two," and M. Night Shyamalan's "Knock at the Cabin." His latest film, "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery," premiered on Netflix last month.

Bautista told GQ he hopes to work more with Denis Villeneuve, who directed "Blade Runner 2049" and both "Dune" films in which he's appeared. "If I could be a number one [on the callsheet] with Denis, I would do it for f***ing free," Bautista said. "I think that's how I could find out how good I could be. He brings out the best in me. He sees me in a different light, sees the performer that I want to be."

Despite the epic year in store for Bautista, the actor said he doesn't "care about the spotlight" or receiving Hollywood accolades. "I don't care about fame," he said. "I just want to be a better actor. I want respect from my peers."