"There's no Drax for me without you": James Gunn joins Twitter in paying tribute to Dave Bautista as actor seemingly confirms exit

Dave Bautista recently triggered sentiments from fans worldwide after seemingly confirming that he will not be returning as the endearing Drax the Destroyer after Marvel's Guardians of The Galaxy 3.

The 54-year old former WWE superstar hinted at his age possibly being a vital factor behind the likelihood above, as revealed in his recent tweet:

In a recent interview with Digital Spy, the actor revealed that Marvel doesn't seem too keen on producing any spin-offs related to Drax, on account of which his future as The Destroyer remains up in the air.

"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. He laid it out to me. I thought it was such a brilliant idea, but I haven't heard any follow-up from the studio. 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. I mean, as far as my obligations, I've got Guardians 3, and that's probably going to be the end of Drax."

Despite specifying that it wouldn't necessarily mean the "end of Drax," scores of fans took to Twitter to pay tribute to his stellar performance.

One of them was none other than Guardians of The Galaxy director James Gunn, whose tweet seemed to best encapsulate the thoughts of the Marvel fanbase:

Dave Bautista replied in a wholesome fashion, albeit with a solemn hashtag that signified #EndOfAJourney:

In light of the duo's heartwarming exchange, Twitter was soon abuzz with a slew of reactions related to Dave Bautista potentially ending his delightful run as Drax the Destroyer.

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"I refuse to accept another Drax": Fans want Dave Bautista to return as Drax the Destroyer post Guardians of The Galaxy 3

Dave Bautista rose to become one of Hollywood's most bankable action stars after his stellar turn as the headstrong, endearing brute, Drax the Destroyer, in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).

While he would go on to reprise his role as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame, his performance made Hollywood sit up and take notice of his universal appeal and box-office potential.

Roles in big-budget franchises such as Spectre and Blade Runner 2049 soon followed, with his stock continuing to reach astronomical heights.

He was even set to star in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad, which he eventually had to forego in favor of Zack Snyder's upcoming zombie heist film on Netflix, Army of The Dead.

The authenticity and sheer likeability with which Dave Bautista portrayed Drax the Destroyer has earned him an army of fans globally, and they were recently left distraught at the very idea of him possibly bidding farewell to the character:

With regards to the possibility of Drax possibly being recast, James Gunn recently provided a definitive response:

While this does seem to tie into the possibility of Dave Bautista's character arc as Drax being given an emotional send-off in Guardians of The Galaxy 3, it now remains to be seen if he will quietly walk into the sunset or go out ballistic, all-guns-blazing.