There have been a handful of wrestlers who have transitioned over to mainstream acting, and Dave Bautista is one of the biggest success stories. Bautista has become a superhero with his leading role in James Gunn's wildly successful Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. And with roles in action-heavy films like Spectre, he has the potential to be a bonafide action star. But it turns out that Bautista isn't satisfied with just kicking ass and taking names, and he wants to make sure he's not typecast in the future. In his own words,
I don't want to look like Dave Bautista there on screen, being the same guy in every role. I want to be different characters. I want to be a chameleon, which is not easy for me to do because I'm built like a fucking gorilla.
Well, he certainly sounds like a legitimate actor. Being pigeonholed into one character is a common fear for movie stars, and Dave Bautista has been booking a ton of work lately.
While Dave Bautista is cognizant about taking challenging and new roles, he certainly hasn't been turning his nose up at action heavy roles. He's got a bunch of blockbusters coming out over the next few months, including with Bushwick opposite Brittany Snow and Final Score with Pierce Brosnan. He's also serving as a producer to both, getting himself involved in another aspect of filmmaking.
And aside from action flicks, Dave Bautista has gotten himself involved in some significant movie properties with Blade Runner 2049 and Avengers: Infinity War. Drax the Destroyer is almost guaranteed to get involved in some insane action sequences when the Guardians meet the Avengers, although it's unclear if his role as Sapper Morton in the Blade Runner franchise is going to feature any action sequences. But given the sci-fi nature of the original film, it would make sense.
While Dave Bautista has been cementing himself as a figure of the silver screen, his comment to Indiewire does point out a challenge in the future trajectory of his career. The mere size of the actor is going to limit the roles he's right for, as well as his ability to be a chameleon and truly disappear into a part.
But if he's able to make more of a career as a producer, then he may be able to craft roles for himself. This method of filmmaking has proven wildly successful for fellow wrestler turned actor Dwayne Johnson, who is constantly juggling acting and producing jobs in both TV and film.
Dave Bautista's next performance as Marvel's Drax will be Avengers: Infinity War on May 4, 2018. And before then he'll have three or so action-heavy roles to give your your fix of the star. In the meantime, check out our 2017 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
