Earlier this week, Dave Bautista revealed that he’s not in the running to play a new version of Bane in James Gunn’s DC Universe. The actor seemed incredibly zen about the whole thing and totally understood that Gunn is aiming for a younger cast that will be around for at least the next decade. However, Bautista’s chill was apparently only temporary because now he wants to be Lex Luthor in the newly announced Superman: Legacy. The man has hustle, people.
“Someone mentioned something on Instagram I saw tonight, and they said, ‘Just hear me out, but Dave Bautista as Lex Luthor’ and I thought that was really interesting,” Bautista told IndieWire before revealing that, now that he thinks about it, the role is way more enticing than Bane anyway:
“So I don’t know man, I may make a call to James and see if they got anybody in mind, but that is more appealing to me at this point of my life and my career than playing Bane. You know, I just turned 54 last week and playing Bane, I think they need to start with someone younger and someone fresher and someone who could physically, you know, take on that part. With confidence, I couldn’t do it right now, and I would never do an injustice to a character like that, that means so much to the DC fans or the superhero fans in general and myself. So I just wouldn’t do it.”
Considering Superman: Legacy hasn’t cast its new Superman, and Gunn isn’t even finished writing the script yet, there’s probably time for Bautista to throw his hat in the ring for the Man of Steel’s arch-nemesis. That said, should he play the role exactly like his Glass Onion character Duke Cody and have a gun jammed in the front of his Speedo the whole time? We’re not not saying that. Just something to think about in this era of dramatic reboots and new awakenings.
Superman: Legacy hits theaters on July 11, 2025.
(Via IndieWire)
