Dave Bautista confirms James Gunn doesn’t want him as the DCU’s Bane

As we await James Gunn announcing the first wave of projects for his shiny new DCU, it looks like we can rule out one possibility for his plans. For the longest time, Dave Bautista has made no secret about harboring dreams of one day bringing Batman villain Bane to life, something which only seemed even more likely once his old Guardians of the Galaxy pal inherited the keys to the kingdom. Unfortunately, the Glass Onion star has now offered an update that will no doubt disappoint DC diehards.

While speaking to Insider to promote the new M. Night Shyamalan movie Knock at the Cabin, Bautista admitted that, yes, he has had “conversations” with Gunn about the chances of playing Bane on the big screen. However, it seems those discussions didn’t go the way fans would’ve liked. As he put it:

“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.”

Yes, it looks like we can expect a younger actor to play Bane once the venom-powered villain eventually returns. Bautista went on to explain that Gunn is having to think long-term with his DCU castings, and the 54-year-old actor is well aware that he maybe can’t commit to such an action-heavy role for the next 15 years of his life.

He continued:

“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. 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.”

So there you have it, people. Don’t go expecting the former WWE star to swap Drax the Destroyer for Bane anytime soon. Still, given the fact Gunn narrowly missed out on casting Bautista in The Suicide Squad, and the actor’s own eagerness to say goodbye to the MCU, the door is still open to him playing another part in Gunn’s schemes for the DC universe. How about hiring him as the internet’s second favorite fan-casting for him: Hugo Strange?