Dave Bautista, Still On The Bane Train, Admits He Really Went For The Batman Idea With Warner Bros.

Dave Bautista in Army of the Dead

CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via links.

Considering the massive popularity of the superhero genre, there are a number of cinematic universes currently competing for box office supremacy. The DC Extended Universe is always growing, and fans are anxiously awaiting the entrance for a number of beloved characters, including Batman’s foe Bane. Guardians of the Galaxy actor Dave Bautista has been open about his interest in playing the villain, and it turns out that he also actively went for the role during a meeting with Warner Bros.

With both the main DCEU and alternate timelines like Matt ReevesThe Batman, it’s clear that Gotham City is going to remain a major setting. As such, there’s double the opportunity to bring Bane back-- possibly played by Dave Bautista. The wrestler turned actor recently spoke about his continued investment in the role, saying:

Oh, it would be Bane all day long. I've made no secret about this. 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.' I'm not kidding. They were a little like 'Whoa, we're not even casting Bane.' I was like 'I don't care, I'm playing him’

Talk about chutzpah. Dave Bautista has been seriously hustling lately, taking on a variety of blockbuster roles outside of his ongoing gig as Drax in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Fans have been wanting to see him play Bane for DC, and it seems that Bautista himself agrees.

Dave Bautista’s comments come from his recent appearance at Justice Con. While he was there primarily to promote his starring role in Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead, the long-form interview also touched on his tenure as a Guardian of the Galaxy, and ambitions to be the next big screen Bane.

Marvel fans can re-watch Dave Bautista’s time in the MCU on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

Given his experience in the comic book genre, fans are constantly calling for Dave Bautista to play other characters from the page. Aside from Bane, another popular option for the actor would be the antihero Lobo. Still, it’s clear who Bautista would rather play.

Bane seems like a great character for Dave Bautista, especially considering his experience as a professional wrestler. In many iterations of the character Bane also has a background as a wrestler, even wearing a luchador mask. Bautista has also been in plenty of action sequences, and has the hulking physicality necessary to bring the character to life. So let’s hope that Warner Bros. moves forward with Bane sooner rather than later.

Dave Bautista can be seen in Army of the Dead, hitting Netflix on May 21st. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.