James Gunn Discusses The Possibility Of Dave Bautista Playing Bane In Bane & Deathstroke

Bane is one of the most iconic villains in the DC Universe, and he’s a character that audiences are excited to see on the big screen once again as part of James Gunn’s DC Universe as Bane & Deathstroke is currently in the works. It’s a movie that would bring two of the most powerful and iconic characters together, although it is still in the early stages of development at this stage.

Matthew Orton has been tasked with writing the movie, but there is currently no director, nor have any actors been cast. However, plenty of rumors are swirling over who could take on the lead roles, particularly Bane. Tom Hardy was the last actor to take on the masked villain in Batman: The Dark Knight Rises, but someone else will get the chance to develop that character this time. Even though nothing is confirmed, the character of Bane could end up seeing Gunn team up with someone he’s very familiar with in the form of Dave Bautista.

The DC Studios co-CEO recently spoke to the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast about the possibility of Bautista portraying Bane. Gunn said, “I don’t know if Dave wants to be Bane anymore; he used to want to be Bane. I think he would much rather be another character than Bane right now; I think that is probably the case. Of course, I love Dave, and I wanna work with him again, but I am not sure he wants to be Bane anymore.”

The former professional wrestler has previously been publicly open about his desire to play Bane, even going as far as personally lobbying Warner Bros. So far, that hasn’t happened, but the possibility of taking on the role of Bane is now set to be available once again as Gunn looks to make the character part of his re-launched DC Universe, which certainly has plenty of interest behind it right now. However, Bautista himself has admitted that it’s unlikely as he thinks Gunn would prefer to have a younger actor to work with long-term.

Audiences have been able to see what Bautista is capable of within the superhero genre due to his performances as Drax the Destroyer in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. He took on the popular character three times in those movies while also having cameo appearances in multiple other Marvel projects. The character blended humor and heart, with Bautista gaining plenty of praise from critics and fans alike for his portrayal. It also allowed him to develop a strong working relationship with Gunn, who was the director of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy. However, Bautista has stopped playing the character now, and a big reason for that is the role’s physical demands, which could impact his prospects of being Bane.

Bautista taking on the character of Bane would likely be a popular decision due to the star power he commands, the passion he has for it, and the fact he’s a proven commodity who could bring Bane to life from a physical standpoint in Bane & Deathstroke. However, the fact that he has just finished a major commitment within the superhero genre could end up putting him off from pursuing what was once his dream role.