Over the past decade of filmmaking, the superhero genre has quickly gained dominance at the box office, as popularity for live-action comic book adaptations continued to rise. As such, plenty of talent has made its way to comic book roles, with actors like Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage being seen across multiple shared universes. Wrestler turned actor Dave Bautista has played Drax the Destroyer across four Marvel movies, but he also seems interested in a Batman villain.
The DC live-action universe has been moving forward with a variety of projects, but perhaps none is quite as intriguing as Todd Phillips' Joker. The upcoming psychological origin story will be set outside of the DCEU, where Jared Leto plays the character. A fan on twitter recently said he'd be more interested in seeing a Dave Bautista-led movie about the villain Clayface, and he responded by saying:
And just like that, Dave Bautista has thrown his name in the ring to play Clayface for DC. Warner Bros.' plans for Batman and his villains are still unknown, as the contents of Matt Reeves' The Batman is being kept under wraps. But there are a ton of characters that haven't made it into the shared universe, and Clayface would be a great choice cinematically.
Dave Bautista's tweet is sure to excite the many Bat-fans out there, who are eager to see the Dark Knight and his adversaries make it to the big screen. While Ben Affleck played a jaded and hulking Bruce Wayne, the actor has since hung up the cowl and cape. This puts a lot of questions in the air regarding the timeline, and it's unclear if Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor or Joe Manganiello's Deathstroke will return in any capacity in the future.
Related: Ben Affleck Was Amused By Zack Snyder's Response To His Batman Exit
Of course, Gotham City does still seem like an important setting for the DCEU. The next DC movie heading to theaters will be Cathy Yan's Birds Of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), which will mark the return of Margot Robbie's fan favorite Harley. The movie will also introduce Bat-family member Huntress, the villainous Black Mask, and Gotham City Police Officer Renee Montoya. Plus, Matt Reeves' The Batman is still on the way.
Dave Bautista has already proven how capable he is at bringing comic book characters to life on the screen, as his tenure in the MCU has been universally celebrated. Drax The Destroyer is a fan favorite member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, with Bautista constantly chewing the scenery and popping in one-liners. But the character also has heart, and we peel the layers of trauma and grief during each of his appearances on the big screen.
Clayface is a powerful and fascinating villain from Batman's rogue gallery, one that Dave Bautista might be able to sink his teeth into as an actor. In the comics, his real name is Basil Karlo. Karlo is a B-list actor who eventually turns to a life of crime, and gains the ability to change his shape. The character has never been portrayed in live-action yet, so it would be an exciting first for the DCEU if it were to happen. And landing a big name like Bautista would help drum up excitement for whatever project that might be.
Dave Bautista has also expressed interest in playing another Batman villain: Bane. The wrestler turned supervillain seems like another great possibility for Bautista, with him able to use his physicality and history in the field to bring the character to life. Either way, fans would likely be thrilled to see Drax pivot over to the DC side of things.
We'll just have to wait and see that Warner Bros. with Batman and his characters. The next installment in the DCEU will be Birds Of Prey on February 7th, 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
