Dave Bautista is leaving the MCU after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. This was his first major franchise role. playing Drax. But the actor doesn’t seem interested in playing franchise roles any further. He has made it clear that he is interested in exploring himself as an actor. However, this doesn’t mean that the former WWE star isn’t getting offers from various studios. If reports are to be believed then he was offered a part in The Fast and Furious franchise but turned it down for something else.
Dave Bautista Rejected A Role In The Fast And The Furious Franchise
The Fast and The Furious has been a consistently successful franchise. Till now, it has grossed more than $6 billion at the box office. Any actor would want to get a piece of that blockbuster pie. But Dave Bautista is an exception. The actor was offered a role in it, but during the meeting, all he could talk about was Gears of War. In a Collider interview, the actor spilled all and said;
“I don’t mean to offend anybody. I’m not putting down anything else, I’m just saying [Gears] is way more interesting to me. I don’t want to pretend like I’m actually interested in something I’m not when there’s something I’m actually really excited about that you guys have under control. ‘Would you consider me for that?’ I don’t think there’s any harm in that. I’m not trying to step on anybody else’s toes, I’m just saying like this is what I love and I’m seriously passionate about this. ‘I can do a good job for you guys on this.’”
Right now, there’s no indication that any kind of Gears of War film is getting made. However, it’s commendable that the star passed on The Fast and The Furious and risked upsetting the executives to show his interest in another project. This bravery probably stems from the fact that he only wants to do what he loves, and that advice was given by Stone Cold Steve Austin. He told Bautista to never get caught in the money trap. During an interview with GQ, Bautista said:
“Before I left WWE, Stone Cold Steve Austin pulled me aside and said, ‘You’re going to get offers for horrible scripts. The money will be tempting. Don’t get caught in that trap.’”
It’s clear that the star decided to take the harder route and that is slowly making him get noticed by great directors with unique visions.
Dave Bautista Talks About His Passion For Acting
Dave Bautista could earn a tonne of money by becoming the next action star like The Rock. But he has deliberately focused on projects that pique his interest. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, he said:
“I didn’t leave wrestling to become a movie star, I left to be an actor. I’ve worked really hard to prove myself and earn the respect of my peers and audiences. This has not been the path of least resistance, it’s been a tough route. I’ve really pursued roles that are the actor’s pieces, and I’ve turned down a lot of roles that would have been better suited for me as an ex-wrestler.”
Read More: “I’ll just keep searching”: Dave Bautista Feels Rom-Coms Don’t Cast Him Because He’s Ugly
Bautista said that he took the roles nobody expected him to take because he wanted to prove himself. As per the actor:
“Those are the roles most people expected me to take, but I’ve chosen to go the unexpected route to prove myself as an actor. I feel like people expect less from a wrestler-turned-actor, but I’ve always wanted to be a serious actor.”
He is certainly establishing himself because in 2023 before the tentpole Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 even hit theaters, he has already made himself known through projects like Glass Onion and Knock at the Cabin. Also, these two are just the beginning of Bautista’s career.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 releases on 5 May 2023.
Source: Collider
