What If? episode 2 is a retelling of the events of 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, with a twist. Instead of Yondu abducting Peter Quill, he accidentally takes T’Challa from Wakanda, which completely changes the events of the film. In fact, the Guardians we know and love from James Gunn’s film never unite to fight together, meaning they’re all going on separate adventures. One such Guardian is Drax the Destroyer, played in the MCU by Batista. We’ve got all the details on whether Batista voices Drax in What If? episode 2.
What If? Episode 2: Does Batista voice Drax?
If you saw this episode and thought Drax’s voice sounded a little different, that’s because it is. Batista, or Dave Bautista, doesn’t voice the Guardian. Instead, he’s voiced by Fred Tatasciore. He’s voiced other Marvel characters over the years, including Hulk and Ultron.
If you’re wondering why Batista doesn’t return to voice Drax in What If? it’s a bit of a messy situation. Earlier this month, it was reported that he wasn’t invited back by Marvel to reprise his role in the show, despite most characters being voiced by their big-screen counterparts. Brad Winderbaum, who is Executive Producer on What If?, told Variety that all MCU actors were invited to appear “in some way, shape or form,” meaning we don’t quite know the whole truth. All we do know is that Batista definitely isn’t here.
Let’s start with I was never asked. https://t.co/HwrnMrEajh
— Dave Bautista (@DaveBautista) August 2, 2021
However, Drax doesn’t have a particularly big role in this episode of What If?. We only see him for one scene, where he’s working as a bartender at an intergalactic bar. In this continuity, Thanos never killed his family, so he never became the revenge-obsessed warrior we see in the MCU. Therefore, Batista didn’t miss out on much by not voicing him — but it’s certainly a shame not to see him reprise his role.
If you want more What If? we’ve got you covered with our full review, as well as a look ahead to episode 3.
