Dave Bautista Praises Taika Waititi’s Work on Thor: Love and Thunder

The worst-kept secret in the MCU right now is that the cast of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy films will make an appearance in Thor: Love and Thunder before returning to headline their next (and most likely final) standalone movie in 2023. Production on the sequel began in January, with several Guardians actors touching down in Australia to film their scenes. Now, Dave Bautista is revealing what he can about what it’s like to work with Taika Waititi on the movie.

While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter about his role in Army of the Dead, the conversation inevitably steered toward Bautista’s upcoming Marvel work, including Love and Thunder. Bautista previously guest-starred on a 2019 episode of What We Do in the Shadows, so he’s already a little familiar with Waititi’s directing style. Regardless, he still had to choose his words carefully when discussing their latest collaboration.

“I know that Chris Pratt has announced that he’s in Thor 4, but I haven’t heard from anybody at Marvel or Disney where it would be OK for me to say that I was in Thor 4. So I will neither confirm nor deny. (Laughs.) But having said that, I’ve worked with Taika before, and so I know Taika’s process. Taika’s process is whatever’s written on page, there’s going to be a dozen more opportunities for you to shine because he’s an improvisational-type actor and he’s an improvisational-type director. So yes, if you have an opportunity to work with Taika Waititi, don’t even be concerned about how small the role is because if you get there and start killing it, he’s going to make you a bigger part of the film.“

RELATED: Dave Bautista Doesn’t See a Future For Drax Beyond Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Bautista went on to explain how challenging it is to avoid spoiling too much, especially when everyone already seems to know what’s coming.

“Yeah, it’s one of those things where I kind of dance around it because I don’t want to piss anybody at Marvel off,” added Bautista. “I don’t want to piss anybody at Disney off. And as far as I know, I guess they gave Pratt a go-ahead to announce that he was in the film. But I haven’t heard anything about it. And as far as I’ve heard, they said it’s not OK to confirm that you’re in the film. But obviously, when all the Guardians are on a Disney jet going to Australia and they photograph us walking into the hotel… (Laughs.) There are photographs of everybody except for me on set. So because there were no photographs of me as Drax on set, I’ve not come out and said, ‘Yeah, I’m in Thor 4.’”

Thor: Love and Thunder will hit theaters on May 6, 2022.

Are you excited to see Drax and his fellow Guardians in the sequel? Sound off in the comment section below!

Recommended Reading: Asgardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1

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