Dave Bautista says his age is the reason he’s planning to retire as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Drax the Destroyer after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. After all, the former professional wrestler will be 54 when James Gunn’s threequel hits theaters in May 2023; he’s just not sold on spending hours in the makeup chair and remaining shirtless for any longer than necessary.
However, you can bet on the fact he’d play Bane if the role came his way. Bautista has called it his dream role, revealing that he pitched himself as the Batman villain when he was meeting Warner Bros. for a different project…and he’s gone to great lengths explaining why he’s perfect for the hulking bad guy.
It hasn’t happened yet. Nonetheless, we’re hearing from our sources — the same ones who told us Ben Kingsley was returning as Trevor Slattery in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings long before it was confirmed — that the Army of the Dead star is pushing hard for the part, and he’ll no doubt continue unless somebody else is cast.
We’ve heard constant rumblings that a Bane project is in the works, but the scuttlebutt can’t agree whether or not Bautista is involved. Though, WB execs know that both the internet and the ex-WWE grappler would be on the warpath should he be overlooked.
