The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a pretty big place. The behemoth shared universe has been producing blockbusters for a decade, with a ton of franchises launching since Iron Man first arrived to change the world of blockbuster production forever. One of the most popular properties in the MCU is James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy, which stars a motley crew of creatures that cause intergalactic mischief and plenty of laughs. The colorful group of characters is one of the main reasons for the franchise's success, including Dave Bautista's Drax and Vin Diesel's anthropomorphic tree Groot. And now it looks like the Bautista has met Groot IRL, while visiting a Disney park. Check out the awesome photo below.
Seriously, how cool is that? It takes a lot to make Dave Bautista look like a small guy, but Groot is just the one to do it. Now if only he could learn a few more words.
This photo comes from Dave Bautista's personal Instagram page, showing that the wrestler turned actor has recently visited a Disneyland. And while Disneyland may be most closely associated with characters like Mickey Mouse, there are also plenty of attractions and characters for the more nerd-minded visitors. Because the House of Mouse owns both Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, characters like Groot and Star-Lord have officially made their way into the parks. The Groot costume is pretty damn impressive, as it's massive headpiece allows him to tower those lucky enough to snag a pic with the Guardian.
In addition to being characters in the parks, the Guardians have also been given an attraction of their own. Disneyland's classic Tower of Terror was recently replaced by Guardians of the Galaxy -- Mission: Breakout!, featuring all the beloved characters and settings from James Gunn's intergalactic franchise. The ride sees Rocket Raccoon recruit riders to help him break the rest of the Guardians out of The Collector's lair, including Dave Bautista's Drax The Destroyer.
It should be interesting to see how the Guardian characters in Disney's parks change as more movies are released. The Groot pictured with Dave Bautista is the version from the original film, where the character was somewhere in his early 20s. But when Groot sacrificed himself to save the rest of the team, he perished and was reborn as a small sapling. Guardians of the Galaxy 2 introduced us to the adorable baby Groot, who captured everyone's hearts. And the sequel's ending introduced us to teenage Groot, who will be the version of the hero that pops up in Avengers: Infinity War. Perhaps that new version of the character will also be one that Disneyland patrons can meet and take photos with, including Dave Bautista himself.
Both Dave Bautista's Drax The Destroyer and Vin Diesel's Groot will return to the MCU when Avengers: Infinity War arrives in theaters on May 4th, 2018. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
