James Gunn Turned Down David Bautista’s Pitch To Play Bane In Revamped DC Universe
Written by djfrosty on January 31, 2023
Source: ANGELA WEISS / Getty
Since taking up duties as head of the DC Universe over at Warner Bros., James Gunn has ruffled many fans’ feathers with the way he’s been shaking things up. That includes moves such as canceling Wonder Woman 3 and putting the kibosh on Henry Cavill’s return as Superman just weeks after Cavill announced he’d be returning as the Man of Steel.
Interestingly enough, former wrestler turned actor, David Bautista saw an opportunity in the chaos. According to The Insider, the actor largely known as Drax The Destroyer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe pitched Gunn on the idea of taking on the mask of Bane in his rebooted DC Universe.
With word that Bautista’s iteration of Drax will be coming to an end in James Gunn’s upcoming Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 3, it would leave David Bautista with some time on his hands for the foreseeable future. And Bane is a character he’s had his eyes on playing for quite some time now.
However, it doesn’t seem like becoming the iconic Batman villain is in the cards for Bautista. As it stands, Gunn is looking to inject some young blood into his revamped DC film franchises. And that’s a big strike against the 54-year-old actor.
“I have had conversations with James about that but I think the direction he’s leaning in, completely rebooting that whole universe, he’s starting from scratch and starting younger and fresher and I think you need to do that,” the actor told Insider over the weekend while doing press for his upcoming movie, “Knock at the Cabin.”
It would’ve been cool to see a Bautista Bane go up against Robert Pattinson’s Batman. The difference in their physical sizes alone would’ve made for some interesting cinematic fight scenes. But alas, it is not meant to be. Being the stand-up guy that he is, Bautista understands why it wouldn’t work out for him. And he acknowledges it’s too late for him to take on the role of another comic book character for the long haul.
“I think for the DC Universe to be revived, you need to start from scratch, and I think you need to start with younger actors,” Bautista, 54, continued. “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.”
We have faith that he could be Bane for at least two films. But at the end of the day, we ain’t calling the shots. We’re sure Bautista will eventually pop up somewhere in the DC Universe. Probably for a one-shot affair or something.
What do y’all think? Is David Bautista too old to play Bane in the DC Universe or should James Gunn have given him a chance? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Photo: Getty