James Gunn Reveals Dave Bautista’s Preference for a Different DC Role Over Bane: “I don’t think Dave wants to be Bane anymore”

James Gunn is working hard to build the DCU from the ground up. Today, the first two episodes of Creature Commandos were released worldwide, officially launching the DCU. With this first project completed, there are still many exciting upcoming projects for fans to look forward to.

One of the recently confirmed projects is a live-action movie featuring two villains, Bane and Deathstroke. While details about the movie are still scarce, fans are already speculating on who will play these iconic characters.

In a recent conversation with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Horowitz asked if Dave Bautista was being considered for the role of Bane. As you may know, Gunn previously asked fans to suggest a role for Bautista in the DCU, and many fans chose Bane as their pick.

James Gunn, however, revealed something quite interesting. According to the director, Bautista might not be interested in the role.

I don’t think Dave wants to be Bane anymore…I think Dave would much rather be another character than Bane right now.

Gunn also mentioned that he really likes Bautista and wants to work with him again, but Bane isn’t the right role for him. Both Horowitz and Gunn pointed out that Bautista is much slimmer now, which was a concern for fans a few months ago.

In the end, Bautista himself said a while ago that he wasn’t interested in the role:

And, also, 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. 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.

If your top fan-cast choice was Bautista as Bane, you can now safely cross that off your list. Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!