Dave Bautista says he wasn’t asked to play Guardians of the Galaxy character in new Marvel show

‘Guardians’ director James Gunn appeared shocked by the news

Dave Bautista has dropped a candid Disney revelation on Twitter.

The actor, who plays Drax the Destroyer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), was asked why he was not voicing the character inWhat If...?, a forthcoming animated series.

In the series, popular Marvel characters will be shown in alternate plots to what they’re usually a part of in the MCU. The majority of actors returned to voice their roles for the series, but Bautista was not one of them.

In response to an inquisitive fan on Twitter who asked: “Hey, Dave!! Why won't you be voicing Drax on #WhatIf?”, Bautista said: “Let’s start with I was never asked.”

James Gunn, who directed Bautista as Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy films, was clearly shocked by the news, simply commenting underneath: “What.”

Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson also won’t be returning to voice their roles of Iron Man, Captain America and Black Widow, respectively, but this is more expected considering their time as part of the MCU is over.

Bautista’s lack of involvement could also be attributed to the fact that Drax has a tiny role in the series and the studio didn’t want to pay the actor a large fee. However, Bautista’s comment suggests the studio failed to discuss the project with him in any capacity.

The Independent has contacted Bautista and Disney for comment.

Dave Bautista reveals he wasn’t asked to reprise ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ role in ‘What If...?’ (Twitter)

Last week, Johansson filed a lawsuit against Disney over the studio’s simultaneous release of her standalone film Black Widow in cinemas and on Disney Plus.

The studio said that Johansson’s lawsuit had “no merit” in a heavily-criticised statement that disclosed the actor’s salary. Bautista was Johansson’s only Marvel co-star to comment on the situation.

He quipped that Disney should have made a Drax standalone film instead, which led to a divisive reaction among fans.

What If...? will premiere on Disney Plus on 11 August.