Picture this: Chadwick Boseman, Black Panther himself, auditioning for… Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy. Before T’Challa ruled Wakanda, Boseman eyed a muscle-bound space warrior’s role. We were crushed when he passed in 2020, but his legacy was locked in, especially with Black Panther breaking records.
As he put it on The Tonight Show in 2019, “Sometimes that’s the way it works as an actor. You go in knowing you’re not gonna get it, but you’re meeting the people that might be like, ‘It’s not this, but we’ll put him in this other thing.’” That “other thing” turned out to be T’Challa, the role that changed everything.
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Back in 2016, Chadwick was on the rise (42 and Get On Up), and Marvel was looking for something fresh with Guardians of the Galaxy. And they were casting against type for Drax, a role that went to the perfectly suited Dave Bautista.
But before Bautista stepped into those big boots, Boseman had a shot at it. And honestly? He wasn’t even sure he’d land the role. “I didn’t think I’d get the role,” he alluded. But, as actors do, he kept the vibe positive, thinking, “It’s not this, but we’ll put him in this other thing.”
Enter Black Panther.
Let’s be real—Boseman was never going to be Drax. Physically, he didn’t have the bulk that Bautista brought to the character, and emotionally? Drax’s tough exterior with a side of humor didn’t quite mesh with Boseman’s more refined, regal presence. Bautista, a former WWE champ, was built for Drax in terms of muscle and his ability to bring humor to a serious character who never quite took himself too seriously.
But what if Boseman had been cast as Drax? It’s fun to imagine but we’re so glad he wasn’t. He was destined to be T’Challa, the Black Panther, the hero who wasn’t just fighting for justice but standing as a symbol for an entire culture. And his performance? It was about embodying a leader who commanded respect without ever needing to raise his voice. In a way, his portrayal of T’Challa transcended what we typically expect from superhero movies.
So, while we can’t help but play with the “what if” of Boseman as Drax, we’re forever grateful that he was able to step into the role that truly fits his legacy—Black Panther, and let’s not forget, Dave Bautista as Drax was a perfect fit, too, bringing his life-changing performance that helped redefine the character and launch his career in Hollywood. Talk about cosmic timing.
