Right before the pandemic hit, theaters were graced with an all star cast in the Clue/Westing Game-esque murder mystery film Knives Out. And we can officially expect a sequel. While still a pretty impressive cast list, Knives Out 2 will feature a whole new set of characters centered around Daniel Craig’s Detective Benoit Blanc. Guardians of the Galaxy’s Dave Bautista is one such cast member, and although he is pumped to work with Craig again, Knives Out 2 has the buff Marvel star feeling a little nervous.
While having been a big name in pro wrestling for a while, Dave Bautista’s film career has really taken off since he took on the role of Drax in the MCU. After starring alongside Chris Pratt and his crew in Guardians of the Galaxy, Bautista worked with Daniel Craig in the James Bond film Spectre. And while he tells Slash Film that he is really looking forward to working with the British icon again, he’s also a little nervous to be working on Knives Out 2 with Craig. Here’s what the WWE star says, exactly:
It feels terrifying. I’m nervous about it. I’m really nervous. It’s one of those things where now the pressure’s on, because people are expecting things from you. I want to deliver. I take pride in that. I’m a game player. I want to throw a touchdown pass. I know the script is brilliant, I know the director is brilliant, and I know everybody that they’re going to cast – obviously Daniel [Craig] is there, he’s brilliant, and I believe Ed Norton’s been cast as well. So the names are going to get bigger and better, and for me, I can’t get it out of my head that – there’s always going to be a part of me that feels like I’m new to this and I’m still learning, and I want to be able to hold my own. So there is a bit of an intimidation factor, because all these actors and directors are just accomplished and seasoned and award-winners. But at the end of the day, this is how I gauge my career, the people I’m working with. The projects that I’m on, the directors that I work with. So I know being announced as part of this cast is a huge statement, because the first film crushed.
It seems like Dave Bautista is really feeling the pressure now. On one hand, it makes sense that he would be nervous. Because like he says, Knives Out had some huge names and it seems the sequel may be trying to outdo itself with the new cast list. Daniel Craig of course is retaining his role of the great Detective Blanc, but stars like Ed Norton and Kathryn Hahn have already signed on for the sequel and there are plenty more yet to be announced.
On the other hand, it’s almost like Dave Bautista is forgetting he has already worked with some pretty huge names in the industry. The man is in the MCU and right out of the gate played alongside Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, and Vin Diesel - and that’s just to name a few. That was initially back in 2014; since then he has worked on 4 more Marvel films, appeared alongside Jodie Foster in Hotel Artemis, worked with Zach Snyder in his film Army of the Dead, and filmed the Dune reboot. I mean, come on, you’re not exactly a rookie anymore, Bautista. You’re playing with the big boys now.
Even so, Dave Bautista has certainly been in the industry for a lot less time than the names he is playing ball with. It may be a good thing that he is holding each role he gets in such high regard and not becoming blind to how huge it is that he is surrounded by successful people in Hollywood. He may be nervous, but he is absolutely crushing it right now - hopefully his hot streak is still going on when filming for Knives Out 2 starts, he may need it starring alongside all those big names!
