Dave Bautista Played An Alien From Space Long Before His MCU Days
We know Dave Bautista as a former wrestler, as the replicant Sapper Morton in "Blade Runner 2049," Glossu Rabban in "Dune," and of course, Drax the Destroyer, a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy in the MCU. He's played Drax in four films and has two on the way with "Thor: Love and Thunder," and "Guardians of the Galaxy 3." This alien from Kylos made us all fall in love with him as Drax, with his frank speech, goofy lines, and loyalty to his friends and chosen family.
Drax isn't the first alien from space that Dave Bautista has played, however. Many years ago, back in the mists of time (otherwise known as 2006), Bautista played an alien on the CW series "Smallville." That series was the story of a young Clark Kent before he saved the entire world as Superman. In season 6 of the series, we meet Bautista's other alien, and let's just say that he and Drax don't have very much in common.
Drax is a criminal, and he has a very big body count. His reasoning is pretty clear though. Ronan the Accuser, under the orders of Thanos, killed Drax's wife Ovette — whom he fell in love with because she refused to dance with everyone else at a war rally — and their daughter Kamaria. Drax ended up in the Kyln, the prison he shared with Gamora, Star-Lord, Groot, and Rocket Raccoon. Drax has been through a lot, losing family, battling his enemies, listening to his father tell the story of his conception every solstice — though he seems to like that. He helped the Avengers beat Thanos, and is now traveling the galaxy with the other Guardians. He couldn't be less like his other alien role, particularly in the food department. Where Drax eats whatever snacks are available on the ship, his other alien character likes ... more meaty, crunchy, boney things.
He prefers the crunchier snacks
Back in "Smallville" season 6, Bautista played the role of the alien Aldar. He looks like Bautista with a little more hair, with orange, yellow, and black eyes. He's got sharp teeth and shredded black clothing. Aldar has escaped from the Phantom Zone when Clark Kent opened the gateway, but along with a few others like Gloria and Titan, Aldar is corporeal and not a phantom. Aldar is considered one of the strongest characters on the series, and is absolutely more than a match for the younger version of Superman.
About those snacks ... Aldar's favorite TV nosh is the marrow from bones. Human ones. In fact, when he gets to Seattle, Washington from the Phantom Zone, he eats the entire crew of a ship waiting in the dock. Of course. It's the same as a bag of chips; conveniently packaged. Not only is Aldar strong though, he figures out really quickly that Clark is a Kryptonian because he has the Crystals of El, which can destroy phantoms from the Zone. Of course, Aldar isn't exactly a phantom with his corporeal body, and he throws Clark into a crane. The future Superman is only saved by Martian Manhunter, who tells Clark that Aldar could have killed him with his bare hands. Oof! How embarrassing for Clark! Martian Manhunter takes Aldar down with an energy burst.
Stronger than a young Superman?
Though Aldar is beaten in season 6 of "Smallville," we hear about him again in season 11, when Martian Manhunter reveals that the reason Aldar was in the Phantom Zone in the first place was that he put him there. Is he stronger than Superman? He was in season 6, but who knows now, with a Superman at full strength? Is he stronger than Drax? Not to set a space fox among the space chickens, but it's possible. Still, setting Aldar and Drax up as a fight would get fans all riled up, as Aldar is from DC Comics and Drax is a Marvel character.
The thing that might give Drax the edge though, is that Drax wouldn't hesitate to call on his friends for help, whereas Aldar is so arrogant that he would fight on his own. Our grayish-green alien Kylosian with the red markings takes family very seriously, and that family loves him. Even Star-Lord, despite the fact that Drax says he's a dude, and that Thor is a handsome man. You have to love a guy who thinks that if he stands really, really still, no one can see him. Drax is the best.