When you hear the phrase ‘wrestler-turned-actor,’ your mind immediately thinks of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. No offense intended to John Cena, whose Hollywood career definitely seems to be on the up, or Hulk Hogan, responsible for such classics as Mr. Nanny and Santa with Muscles, but Johnson is arguably the biggest movie star on the planet as well as the highest-paid.
Another name that has made the transition from the wrestling ring to the silver screen in recent years though is Dave Bautista, and while the action genre has unsurprisingly been his bread-and-butter given the sheer size of the man, the 50 year-old seems intent to challenge himself as an actor. Bautista’s work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Stuber have displayed some excellent comic timing, while supporting turns in the likes of Blade Runner 2049 and Hotel Artemis have also showcased some strong dramatic chops.
Bautista recently wrapped Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Dune and is currently filming Zack Snyder’s zombie action flick Army of the Dead, leading to speculation about what his next role could be. Given his close relationship with James Gunn, there were rumors that the actor would be reuniting with the Guardians filmmaker on The Suicide Squad. And recently, Dave’s been fueling speculation that he wants to remain a fixture in the comic book genre, by admitting that he’d love to play fan-favorite Batman villain Clayface if the opportunity should ever arise.
I going to enthusiastically agree with you on that! 🙌🏽 https://t.co/ehPMYu4QPe
— Dave Bautista (@DaveBautista) August 28, 2019
It’s interesting that Bautista is once again publicly declaring his hope of starring in a Batman movie, given that he’s already shown an interest in taking on the role of Bane, with fan art even depicting how he would look as the musclebound villain.
Clayface’s only big screen appearance so far has been in The LEGO Batman Movie, where the character was voiced by actress and comedian Kate Micucci, who’s literally the opposite of Dave Bautista in every way. There’ve been rumors that Matt Reeves’ The Batman will feature an extensive rogues’ gallery of villains for Robert Pattinson’s Dark Knight to deal with, and after throwing his hat into the ring for two separate roles, Bautista will be hoping for at least a phone call.
