Though he was once so devoted to the idea of playing Batman foe Bane that he told Warner Bros. his desires unannounced, Dave Bautista has now taken himself out of the running. The massively muscular former wrestler is one of the few actors out there who naturally has the physique, and his pal James Gunn now runs DC Studios and likes working with old friends. But they’ve had the talk, and Bautista won’t be Bane.
Speaking to Insider, the actor revealed the reason why: he’s getting too old for this. “You need to start to plan for the next 15 years, and I just don’t think you can do that with me,” he says. “And I understand that. 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. “
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“I have had conversations with James about that,” he revealed, “but I think the direction he’s leaning in, completely rebooting that whole universe, he’s starting from scratch and starting younger and fresher.”
Tom Hardy was in his mid-thirties when he played Bane in The Dark Knight Rises. Jeep Swenson was 40 in Batman and Robin. Bautista is in his mid-fifties, though Batman villains rarely return for more than one movie (Cillian Murphy’s Scarecrow is the only major exception).
Do you think Bautista should play Bane? Or is there another DC character he’d be better suited for at his age? Let us know in comments.
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