Under the watchful eye of James Gunn, Dave Bautista originated the role of MCU character Drax on the big screen, starring in the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, the recent Holiday Special, and even an Avengers movie or too.
However, with his time as Drax soon coming to an end, and Gunn pivoting from the MCU to DC, many are expecting (read: hoping for) the pair to reunite and work together on some of the rebooted DC movies Gunn has planned as the new co-CEO of DC Studios.
In the past, Bautista has been open about his desire to play Batman villain Bane, but in a new interview with Insider, the superhero movie actor admitted that it might be time for him to hang up that metaphorical mask.
“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,” Bautista, who stars in new movie Knock at the Cabin, explained.
“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. 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,” he states. “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.”
Perhaps not all hope is lost, however, as Bautista’s publicist later clarified to Insider that while the actor and Gunn had spoken about him playing the movie villain in “in the last ten years,” they hadn’t revisited the discussion since Gunn started his role at DC studios. Still, the future of Batman movies is bright.
To see Bautista in his final performance as Drax, keep your eyes peeled for the Guardians of Galaxy Vol. 3 release date. Check out our guide on Marvel’s Phase 5 for everything else coming in the franchise.