James Gunn has made it clear that he would love to work with the cast of Guardians of the Galaxy again over at DC Studios. One of those stars is Dave Bautista, who for years many fans have suggested should play Bane in the DCU. While the former wrestler, who will be making his last appearance as the MCU’s Drax in this summer’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, has previously gone so far as to saying he would “love a crack” at the character, he has revealed that James Gunn’s plans for the DCU have most likely ruled him out of the role.
Speaking in an interview with Insider, Bautista noted that he has spoken to James Gunn about his plans for the DCU, and the conversation has made him back away from potentially playing Bane, who he says will need to be played by someone younger in the franchise. He said:
"I have had conversations with James [Gunn] about that 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. I think for the DC Universe to be revived, you need to start from scratch, and I think you need to start with younger actors.
You need to start to plan for the next 15 years, and I just don't think you can do that with me. 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. So, I just don't know if I'd be that guy."
What Will James Gunn’s DCU Plan Look Like?
According to James Gunn himself, the new DCU plans should be revealed in part in the next couple of days, however, these has been no indication of exactly when he will share the information. With fans constantly asking the new DC Studios co-CEO when he will be revealing his plans, it will surely not be long before we know a little more detail about where Gunn is taking the superhero franchise.
We already know that Gunn is planning on bringing a new, younger Superman to the franchise, and from Bautista’s comments, it seems that the entire DCU franchise could soon be seeing a younger set of heroes coming to the big screen. Of course, this may not end up being the case in all respects, as Jason Momoa has made it clear that he is still going to be part of the franchise going forward, potentially as more than one character. Whether this means that Bautista could still get the chance to play Bane in the DCU is something that we won’t know until James Gunn wants us to.