DC Studios has definitely gotten a shot in the arm with the news that James Gunn will become the studio's creative lead. Having years of experience over at competitor Marvel Studios, Gunn has been behind some of the best-received projects at both companies. Now that he's working on the DC Universe, he may bring a certain Guardian of the Galaxy to portray a popular Batman villain.
Dave Bautista worked with Gunn when he portrayed Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy films, and he's been many fans' choice to play a new version of Bane in a DC movie. Given the various Batman continuities that James Gunn will be overseeing, it's easy to see how Bautista could fit in as the back-breaking bad guy. Here's how James Gunn's new job could see this fan dream come true.
Dave Bautista Has Been a Popular Fancast for Bane
Ever since the DC Universe (formerly the DC Extended Universe) began expanding with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, fans wondered who could portray this new continuity's versions of iconic Batman villains. Bane had been most famously played by Tom Hardy in The Dark Knight Rises, though many wanted a more comic-accurate take on the character. For many reasons, Bautista fits this bill perfectly, appearing to many as Bane come to life.
In terms of physicality, getting Bautista to look like Bane is simply a matter of making him wear the costume. Even more so than many superhero movie actors, Bautista is absolutely jacked, having a tremendously domineering presence. He even looks like how Bane is typically drawn sans costume, making the resemblance even stronger. Likewise, at a high and mighty 6'4, Bautista's far closer to the character's desired stature when compared to the more diminutive Hardy. Unlike some, however, Bautista is a serious actor, as seen when he portrayed the intimidating villain Glossu Harkonnen in the recent Dune remake. With all these things going for him, it's likely a simple matter of his director buddy giving Bautista the go-ahead.
How James Gunn's New Role Allows Dave Bautista to Become the DCU's Bane
Gunn seems to be a very agreeable director, with many of the actors he worked with on the Guardians of the Galaxy movies standing by him when he was temporarily fired from the third entry. One of these included Bautista, who's been one of Gunn's biggest advocates. Other actors who've worked with Gunn at Marvel Studios showed up in his DC movie The Suicide Squad, and Bautista could finally follow the trend after fan demand.
It seems that Gunn is leaving Matt Reeves to run his own universe that he started in The Batman, so he might not have a lot of sway in getting Bautista to play Bane there. Another possibility would be for Bautista to portray Bane in the DCU, fighting against Ben Affleck's equally large and intimidating Batman. That would make for a great visual and even better fight scenes, especially considering Bautista's wrestling experience. Even if he doesn't fight Batman, "Banetista" could show up in another Suicide Squad project from Gunn, or even a Secret Six film, given that he was on that team in the comics. No matter where he finally shows up, there's a higher chance than ever for Bautista to fulfill numerous fancasts, and it's all thanks to his friend in high places.