Dave Bautista is one of the most successful wrestler turned actors of all time, sometimes resulting in comparisons to Dwayne Johnson. He’s expected to end his run in the MCU as Drax the Destroyer after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which should presumably open up his schedule for other exciting projects. And while he shot down fan casting of him as Batman rogue Bane, there’s another DC villain he might be down to play. Luckily he knows a guy in one James Gunn.
Since Dave Bautista has a background in wrestling, he seemed like a great choice to play Bane sometime in the DC Extended Universe. But he’s denied any serious talks happening, and even doubted whether or not he could physically do justice to the iconic villain. But a journalist recently floated the idea online about Bautista actually playing Lex Luthor instead. And in response the Dune actor commented on the Instagram post, saying:
I never thought about that! And now I’m not going be able to stop thinking about it. 😈
Well, that’s super exciting. While Dave Bautista previously hadn’t considered himself to be the new Lex Luthor, he seems pretty amicable to the idea. This would seemingly be a complex role for the 54 year-old actor to sink his teeth into, and would help James Gunn and Peter Safran in creating their new vision for the DCEU. Now let’s hope it actually happens.
Dave Bautista’s surprise comment on social media definitely turned the heads of DC fans, and it has nearly 5,000 likes at the time of writing this story. Comic book fans love his work as Drax in the MCU, and would no doubt love to see him once again collaborate with James Gunn for the DCEU. While he wants to do projects like romantic comedies, smart money says more action-heavy movies are also in his future.
While moviegoers thought that Dave Bautista would be a great Bane, eventually the chatter got so loud that he addressed those rumors directly. In a statement to Insider, he explained his concerns with taking on that particular villain role, saying:
You need to start to plan for the next 15 years, and I just don't think you can do that with me. And I understand that. And, also, I have to say that I appreciate that because I don't want to play a character that I can't bring justice to it. I don't think at this point in my career that I can bring justice to Bane anymore. I just don't know if I could handle the physical part, and I don't think I would have the longevity to plan ahead for films. So, I just don't know if I'd be that guy.
There were some solid points made. New co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran are currently planning the next decade of DC projects, which should help the franchise finally embrace serialized storytelling. Given how long these plans are going, Dave Bautista isn’t sure he wants to take on such a physical role, and to stay Bane-ripped. But could he really be the next Lex Luthor? Only time will tell.
Of course, there was already a Lex Luthor in the main DCEU timeline. Jesse Eisenberg debuted as the villain in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and was later featured in the post-credits scene of Justice League (both versions). But with the DCEU seemingly moving on from Zack Snyder’s first few movies, it makes sense that a new actor will be brought in. After all, Henry Cavill is no longer playing Superman.
Dave Bautista can currently be seen in M. Nighty Shyamalan’s Knock at the Cabin, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will follow suit on May 5th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
