Dave Bautista Cast As James Gunn's Bane In Retro DCU Fanart (And He Loves It)

There’s no doubt that Dave Bautista would make an excellent live-action Bane. After all, he’s no stranger to leading blockbuster comic book adaptations. He famously played Drax the Destroyer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and features prominently in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films. As far as portraying the hulking Batman villain on a physical level, his imposing frame and history as the intense and powerful Batista in WWE make him a perfect fit. However, Bautista himself doesn’t think a visit to Gotham City is in his future due to one major factor: his age.

“I think the direction [James Gunn is] 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,” Bautista told Business Insider in 2023, revealing that he had previously spoken with Gunn about the director’s vision for the DC Universe. He understands that the DCU is about taking a more youthful approach, and he might not quite fit as Bane. He added that he wouldn’t want to take on the role at this point anyway, especially if he can’t do it right. “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.”

With it looking unlikely that a Dave Bautista take on Bane will become a reality, at least we have pieces of incredible fan art out there to show us what could’ve been. Plus, we might have Bautista’s return to Marvel to look forward to.