Summary

• Dave Bautista says he wanted to play Bane or Lex Luthor for a long time. However, the actor feels he can no longer keep up with Bane’s physicality, and Lex Luthor has already been cast in the DCU.
• Matt Reeves’
  The Batman
  universe and James Gunn’s DCU offer the ideal platform for Bautista to portray the complex and often overlooked villain Hugo Strange.
• Hugo Strange’s genius-level intellect and creepy obsession with Batman provide a rich character for Bautista to explore, offering the actor more creative possibilities than just his physicality.

Dave Bautista may not play his original DC dream roles anytime soon, but there’s one character that fits him perfectly and two clear opportunities to portray him. Dave Bautista played Drax the Destroyer for nearly ten years in the MCU, first cast by James Gunn for 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Since then, Dave Bautista’s acting career has skyrocketed, with notable performances in movies such as Spectre, Blade Runner 2049, Army of the Dead, and Glass Onion. Now, Bautista seems to be ready to take on another comic book role, but the two characters that interest him aren’t feasible at the moment.

Speaking to Screen Rant, Dave Bautista said he became obsessed with playing Lex Luthor in a DC project after accepting that he “felt just too old to play” Bane. James Gunn’s star-studded Superman has already cast Nicholas Hoult as the DCU’s Lex Luthor, and it may take a long while for the DCU to introduce its version of Bane, who would likely be a younger version of the villain anyway. Although it’s undeniable that Dave Bautista would have played a great Lex Luthor and a great Bane, there’s still one DC villain he can embody just as faithfully in the near future.

Dave Bautista Can Play Hugo Strange In Matt Reeves’ The Batman Universe Or The DCU

Hugo Strange’s Potential Has Been Overlooked By All Previous Live-Action Batman Movies

Dave Bautista seems like the perfect casting for Dr. Hugo Strange, an evil psychiatrist obsessed with Batman in the comics. Introduced in 1940’s Detective Comics#36, Hugo Strange is one of Batman’s oldest and most intelligent enemies. Yet, Hugo Strange has barely appeared in live-action, with only one live-action portrayal — BD Wong’s in Gotham. Given that The Batman– Part II and The Brave and the Bold are likely to explore overlooked parts of Gotham’s lore with characters who haven’t appeared in previous Batman movies, it’s possible that Hugo Strange will make his big-screen debut soon.

The door is wide open for both a grounded and a more fantastical Hugo Strange portrayal

Dave Bautista can play Hugo Strange in either of two DC franchises: Matt Reeves’ The Batman trilogy (and its spinoffs) and James Gunn’s DCU. Neither Reeves’ The Batman – Part II nor Andy Muschietti’s The Brave and the Bold have a confirmed villain yet. Therefore, the door is wide open for both a grounded and a more fantastical Hugo Strange portrayal, both of which could be perfect roles for Marvel alum and close James Gunn collaborator Dave Bautista.

Why Hugo Strange Is The Best Role For Dave Bautista Right Now

Hugo Strange Can Be A More Complex DC Villain Than Bane And Lex Luthor

Hugo Strange could be an even better character for Dave Bautista than Bane and Lex Luthor. While Bane and Luthor are two particularly smart villains, Hugo Stange’s genius-level intellect is compounded by his deeply twisted mind. Strange lacks Bane’s strength and Lex Luthor’s resources, yet he deduced Batman’s secret identity all by himself and became obsessed not with beating, but with being the Dark Knight. Strange’s obsessive personality provides plenty of potential for a distinguished performance at a time when Dave Bautista’s career is focusing more on his acting capabilities rather than his physicality.

However, Dave Bautista can also inject some physicality into the role of Hugo Strange without the need to replicate his WWE or Drax the Destroyer physique. In the comics, Hugo Strange briefly impersonates Batman in an attempt to kill him and replace him. Matt Reeves’ The Batman – Part II or Andy Muschietti’s The Brave and the Bold could present a version of DC‘s Hugo Strange that’s a physical threat as much as a psychological one. Dave Bautista’s acclaimed performances in Blade Runner 2049 and Knock at the Cabin attest to the actor’s ability to embody this type of character.