Once upon a time, the former professional wrestler Dave Bautista spoke to DC Films about playing Bane, one of Batman's most fearsome villains. Ultimately, the role went to Tom Hardy, but the story behind these events is very funny and well worth your time.
Speaking at JusticeCon, Bautista was asked who he'd love to play in the DC Universe as part of the "Spotlight on Dave Bautista" panel. "Oh, it would be Bane all day long. I've made no secret about this," began Bautista. Of course, he's found success as the Marvel Comics character Drax the Destroyer in Guardians of the Galaxy, the Avengers series, and he's set to pop up again in Thor: Love and Thunder and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. He also appeared in Blade Runner 2049 and Hotel Artemis, and will lead the zombie heist movie Army of the Dead.
Advert
"I want to play Bane so bad I went to Warner Bros., had an appointment with them, had an appointment with DC, walked in the door and said, 'I want to play Bane,'" continued Bautista. "I'm not kidding. They were a little like 'Woah, we're not even casting Bane.' I was like 'I don't care, I'm playing him.' Ah, yes, he's advocating for the classic "walk in there and ask for a job" schtick, the tried and true approach of all grandads who've worked for the same company since 1967. To be honest, it's not totally outlandish. Simu Liu, the star of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, asked Marvel Studios for the role of the titular hero on Twitter. The rest is history, as the saying goes.
Bautista didn't quite get the same outcome from his chat with DC Films. Uploading a photo of himself inside the building with the Warner Bros. shield over his shoulder to Twitter, he reiterated that he did really try for the role. "But in all honesty they did have a good giggle and show me the exit. .. at least I gave it a shot," he added. "My life seems to be a continuing mission to find an alternative route to get to where I want to be. I'm good with that.. #DreamChaser"
Well, never say never. The Batman, featuring Robert Pattinson as the caped crusader, has a lot of villains appearing in the movie already like Catwoman, Penguin, and Riddler. But, if it does well, then there might well be room in the follow-up, and given Bane's significant presence as a supervillain in the original material, he's bound to show up at some point. Hopefully DC Films will give him a bell when the opportunity arises.
Featured Image Credit: Dave Bautista via Twitter, Tony S. Daniel via DC Comics
