Dave Bautista Claims James Gunn Plans to Completely Reboot the DC Universe, Echoes David Zaslav’s Previous Comments
Guardians of the Galaxy Actor Dave Bautista claims that James Gunn is the DC Studios CEO and plans to completely rebuild the DC Universe.
(L-R): Dave Bautista as Drax, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, and Karen Gillan as Nebula in Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Photo by Jessica Miglio. © 2022 MARVEL.
Talk with Insider about his upcoming film, Knock at the Cabin, Baustista also provided some insight into Gunn’s vision for the DC Universe.
The outlet was informed by him: “I have had conversations with James 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.”
(L-R): Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Dave Bautista as Drax, and Chris Pratt as Star-Lord/Peter Quill in Marvel Studios’ THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER. Jasin Boland. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.
Bautista elaborated further on his thoughts regarding the DC Universe. “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.”
He continued, “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.”
Glass Onion: The Knives Out Mystery (2022). (L-R), Leslie Odom Jr. is Lionel, Dave Bautista is Duke. Cr. John Wilson/Netflix © 2022.
Specifically referencing his past preference to play the Batman villain Bane, the actor said, ” 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.”
Bautista claimed that he was at Justice Con 2021 and that he met with Warner Bros. executives to request the Bane role.
He said, “I want to play Bane so bad I went to Warner Bros., had an appointment with them, had an appointment with DC, walked in the door and said, ‘I want to play Bane.’ I’m not kidding,
Interestingly, Bautista was also the choice of Bane’s creator Chuck Dixon to take on the role in live-action.
Dixon responded to a fan asking him how he felt Bautista was playing Bane. “Well, I’d feel really good about it since he seems eager to play the character. And he is an Hispanic gentleman, an hombre, and seems to be a real smart guy so he’d be able to play that aspect of Bane. And of course, obviously he has the physicality to play my favorite Batman villain.”
Dixon continued, “So, yeah, I’d feel pretty good about it. And because he’s so eager to do it.”
Dixon later asserted, “I think Bautista is a perfect casting choice. But it’s not up to me. And it’s not up to him. It’s up to a bunch of agents because they seem to run Hollywood these days.”
He concluded: “But, yeah, maybe someday it will happen. I’d like to see that.”
DC Comics. Vengeance Of Bane #1 (1993).
RELATED: Chuck Dixon, Bane Creator, explains Why Batman Will Continue To Fight For Crime
As far as Bautista’s claim that Gunn plans to reboot the DC Universe, this echoes much of what Warner Bros. David Zaslav, Discovery CEO, laid out the plans last year.
During Warner Bros. Discovery’s Q2 2022 Earnings Call Zaslav stated, “As we look at the opportunities that we have, broadly, DC is one of the top of the list for us. We — when you look at Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, these are brands that are known everywhere in the world, the ability to drive those all over the world with great story is a big opportunity for us.”
Then he revealed: “We have done a reset. We’ve restructured the business where we’re going to focus — where there will be a team with a 10-year plan focusing just on DC. It’s very similar to the structure that Alan Horn and Bob Iger put together very effectively with Kevin Feige at Disney.”
“We think that we could build a long-term, much stronger sustainable growth business out of DC. And as part of that, we’re going to focus on quality,” He stated. “We’re not going to release any film before it’s ready. We’re not going to release a film to make a quarter. We’re not going to release a film under — the focus is going to be how do we make each of these films in general as good as possible. But DC is something that we think we can make better, and we’re focused on it now.”
James Gunn speaking at San Diego Comic Con International 2016. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”At the San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, California. Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore (Peoria, Arizona, United States of America), CC-BY-SA 2.0
James Gunn indicated that he would be working with a younger actor in his Superman movie. He explained that Henry Cavill wouldn’t return to the role because he was too elderly.
Gunn answered when asked why Superman was being recast, and Cavill was reprising his role. “As I said yesterday, it’s very simple, he’s a different age.”
James Gunn on Twitter
Gunn would then claim that the film was not an origin story, and that Superman is his. “merely younger.”
James Gunn on Twitter
What do you make of Dave Bautista’s claims about Gunn’s vision for the DCU?
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