John Cena’s Peacemaker To Introduce Dave Bautista As A Major Batman Villain?
John Cena's Peacemaker may be bringing Dave Bautista to DC.
This article is more than 2 years old
DC FanDome 2021 looms on the horizon as its second annual showcase of theatrical releases and streaming service series gear up to be shown off by Warner Bros. Many heavy hitters are slated for a spot or two throughout the run of the show, and outside of the obvious promotion of The Batman, The Flash, and other tentpole blockbusters, John Cena and Dave Bautista could have an incredible surprise waiting to be announced during the event.
John Cena has made it clear that he’s loved every moment of being Peacemaker, practically living in the costume and wearing it everywhere he goes. A Peacemaker series has been ordered as an HBO Max exclusive series that will stand in as a prequel for James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. The series will primarily supplement Peacemaker’s origin story of how Christopher Smith became the self-proclaimed “beacon” of peace, though could feature Dave Bautista as a popular Batman villain: Bane. A new report from Movie-Scope says their insiders are hearing that the HBO Max series, Peacemaker, will introduce this classic Batman character. Could Bautista finally be getting the role?
Dave Bautista, much like John Cena, comes from a wrestling background and has transitioned into the world of acting. If the rumors are true and Bautista does end up landing the role of Bane, this will be his first superhero project outside of Marvel Studios and reunite him with James Gunn from their time together working on the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy. Bane has been portrayed twice in live-action Batman lore: first in Batman & Robin, and then more famously in The Dark Knight, where Tom Hardy notably set the bar for those cast as Bane after him.
It was revealed by Dave Bautista that he once told Warner Bros. that he was the perfect choice to play the back-breaking Batman baddie. He envisions himself as the ideal choice, after giving the respected credit to Hardy, due to his level of performance and because of his physical stature. He claims he can play Bane in a “freakishly intelligent” way that would balance out well with Bane’s ominousness and menacing demeanor. It’s obvious that Warner Bros. wants to keep John Cena around as Peacemaker, even if his future with the studio is unclear past the first season of the Peacemaker series.
Given that the DC Extended Universe has plans to make the most out of the multiverse as it embarks further into its next cinematic era, Dave Bautista could finally see his dream role land in his lap after approaching Warner Bros. with his pitch. The Batman is currently slated for a 2022 release and it seems that Bane may not be the next big bad to take down the Dark Knight, this time, with Robert Pattinson behind the cowl. It’s most plausible to expect – if it even happens – that Bautista as Bane may work himself into John Cena’s solo series.
Rumors may have been supposedly debunked by Gunn, who is insistent that Bane will not appear in the John Cena-centric standalone. However, that could be a bluff to save the surprise. There was no specific mention of Dave Bautista as the character, and previous reports allege that Bautista is considering partaking in a sequel to The Suicide Squad if it’s greenlit by DC Films and Warner Bros. The overwhelming praise for Gunn’s first DCEU film makes him a likely candidate as a writer-director for more comic book movies under the DC franchise name. As for Dave Bautista and Jonh Cena crossing paths on-screen, it may be a matter of time. DC FanDome 2021 kicks off its live stream on October 16, 2021.
