Dave Bautista Won’t Play Bane Because James Gunn Wants ‘Younger and Fresher’ Actors for DCU

Dave Bautista hasn’t been shy about his desire to play Batman’s hulking nemesis Bane, but it sounds like the Guardians of the Galaxy actor has put that dream to bed.

In an interview with Insider, Bautista said he’s spoken to the new DC Studios CEO, James Gunn, and learned that Gunn would like to start the next era of the DCU “from scratch” with “younger and fresher” actors.

“I have had conversations with James about that,” Bautista told Insider. “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.”

While Gunn’s vision for the DCU means a role as Bane won’t pan out for him, Bautista explained he understood the rationale for the decision. The actor told Insider a DC Universe revival needs to “plan for the next 15 years,” and may not be an option for him now given how physically demanding playing Bane could be.

“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,” Bautista added. “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.”

In 2021, Bautista shared his hopes of playing the iconic Batman villain at Justice Con. During the Snyder era of DC films, Bautista explained he once made an appointment with DC to make his appeal, walked into the meeting, and said, “I want to play Bane.”

The decision may be a bummer for those hoping to see the 54-year-old actor make the jump from burly Gaurdians hero Drax to giant Batman villain Bane, but there’s always other roles with Gunn on the horizon. As a former Marvel director, Gunn opened up on Twitter last week to share he’s not afraid to cast Marvel stars in DC Films.

Andrea Shearon is a freelance contributor for IGN covering games and entertainment. She’s worn several hats over her seven-year career in the games industry, with bylines over at Fanbyte, USA Today’s FTW, TheGamer, VG247, and RPG Site. Find her on Twitter (@Maajora) or the Materia Possessions podcast chatting about FFXIV, RPGs, and any series involving giant robots.