For years, Dave Bautista campaigned to take over the role of the iconic, back-breaking Batman villain Bane, and for a brief moment, it seemed like the actor might actually get his shot in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. Ultimately, that casting never materialized, but with Gunn now in charge of rebooting the entire DC Universe, surely, Bautista’s chances are better than ever for taking the reins of the character that Tom Hardy brought to menacing life in The Dark Knight Rises.
Unfortunately, not so much, according to Bautista. In a new interview, the frequent Gunn collaborator got candid about his conversations with the new DC Studios head, and he totally understands the direction that Gunn is heading.
“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 told Insider before expanding on why he probably won’t be the new Bane:
“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.”
Despite missing out on Bane, Bautista’s career is on fire. With his Marvel days coming to an end, he’s focusing on “more dramatic stuff,” which includes his upcoming turn in the M. Night Shymalan movie Knock at the Cabin where he plays a terrifying home invader with grim instructions on how to stop the apocalypse. That requires way more gravitas than punching Batman in the face.
Knock at the Cabin opens in theaters on February 3.
(Via Insider)