There was a time when Dave Bautista wasn’t sure if he was in Guardians of the Galaxy Part 3. James Gunn was fired from the film after a bad faith campaign against him became so loud that Disney took action. Dave Bautista, for whom Gunn had competed as Drax the Destroyer, was vocal in his distaste for the situation. He called working for Disney “sickening” at the time and said that while he would do what he was contractually obligated to do, he would not appear in a third Guardians film if Gunn’s script was not used.

Not only was Gunn’s script used, he was also allowed to return as director. But since he was already committed to making a new film, Suicide Squad film for Warner Brothers (a job that would eventually lead to him becoming a part-owner of their superhero universe), his MCU swan song would have to wait. Despite being announced in April 2017, the film wouldn’t hit theaters for a little over six years. Fans would be treated to Gunn’s final MCU appearance, as well as Dave Bautista’s.

Bautista was a revelation as Drax The Destroyer. I’ve written about wrestlers turned actors many times on this site. There are none better than Dave Bautista (and none worse than racist union buster Hulk Hogan). Bautista challenges himself as an actor, often choosing new and interesting roles that go against his mold. You can remember my words, he will be the first wrestler turned actor to win an Oscar (if that ever happens). Drax is the catalyst for his incredible career, and he’s bummed that his time in the role is over so quickly.

The former World Heavyweight Champion recently sat down with The Hollywood Reporter to reflect on Guards 3 and whether he missed playing Drax. “I wouldn’t say I miss[Drax],” the actor explained. “What I do miss is the family environment. It’s hard knowing that we’re never going to be on set together again. Me, Chris, Zoe, Pom, Karen, Sean Gunn, James Gunn — it’s never going to happen again. It’s hard to live with that.” The proximity of the Guards The cast is well documented, but it’s always fun to hear them talk about themselves.

But it was time to say goodbye. Unfortunately, Bautista had to do it quickly, saying, “Our last night of filming was here in Hollywood and we finished at 3 or 4 in the morning. And then I literally had to run to the hotel, grab my bags, jump in a jet and fly to Philadelphia to start Knock on the hut two days later. I was working on another film at the time, and I didn’t do any press or premiere for Guards 3. So there’s just a huge part of me that feels like there was no closure. I never really got to say goodbye to that character and that cast, and there’s always going to be some sadness when I start thinking about that.”

It’s easy to look at the MCU’s faults (and there are a lot of them), but if it were ever to end, the Guardians trilogy would be seen as its biggest highlight. Not only are the films fun, well-made, and emotionally resonant in a way that the other MCU films aren’t, but they were made by a group of people who genuinely seemed to get along with each other. They found each other by making these big, silly space hero movies, and that’s a wonderful thing.