The DC Universe is moving full steam ahead under James Gunn and Peter Safran. With ‘Superman‘ breaking box office records, it’s off to a good start. However, one of Gunn’s most trusted collaborators is still waiting on the sidelines.
Dave Bautista, who worked with Gunn across the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ trilogy in the MCU, has revealed he’s yet to get that much-anticipated call to join the DCU. And from the way the actor puts it, he’s not exactly thrilled about the wait.
Dave Bautista Wants To Join James Gunn’s DCU
During a recent interview with SR to promote his upcoming film ‘Afterburn’, Bautista opened up about his relationship with Gunn and the state of his potential future in the DCU. When asked if the director had discussed a character for him, Bautista admitted, half-joking but half-serious, that he’s been checking in.
Related: James Gunn Explains Why Nova Was Left Out Of The ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy’ Movies
“I haven’t. You know, I check back with them all the time to see, because I want to be in that world. And I don’t want to say I’m disappointed, but I was really just, you know, I was hoping a year or so ago that I would’ve gotten the call from James saying, ‘Hey man, we got something for you.’” The actor’s words reflect both hope and frustration. He added that while he has heard whispers that Gunn and Safran are considering him for something, no direct conversations have taken place.
“I just keep hearing kind of through the pipeline that they’re thinking about me for something, but I don’t know what it is. And I haven’t heard directly from either James or Peter. But I really want to be in that room, you know, I was hoping to go over there and do something with them, but I haven’t heard anything. And I’m not getting younger.” That last line hits especially hard. Bautista has always been candid about his career path, admitting in the past that his age and physicality limit the kind of roles he can take on.
Bautista’s frustration comes with context. His partnership with Gunn was central to the MCU’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ success. For many fans, Bautista became synonymous with Gunn’s storytelling style. Interestingly, Bautista was once nearly cast in the DC world already. Gunn originally wrote the role of ‘Peacemaker’ with Bautista in mind for ‘The Suicide Squad’. However, scheduling conflicts kept him from accepting the part, and it ultimately went to John Cena.
Chris Pratt Weighs In On His Own MCU Future
Meanwhile, another of Gunn’s Guardians family members, Chris Pratt, is facing his own uncertainty, though in a different franchise. Pratt addressed why Star-Lord’s name was missing from the ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ cast reveal despite Marvel promising fans that “The Legendary Star-Lord Will Return” at the end of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.’ Speaking with Collider, Pratt joked about the situation.
In case you missed it: The Real Reason Why MCU Doesn’t Need Guardians Of The Galaxy In ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
“I don’t know! I think it was, like, far off… They must have cut away from it. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know. It was there. I’m sure it was there.” On a more serious note, he reassured fans. “I can’t say, for fans of mine, where they’ll see Star-Lord again, but I can tell them we made a promise at the end of [Guardians of the Galaxy] Vol. 3 that the legendary Star-Lord will return, and he will return.”
While Pratt pokes fun at the situation, his absence from the Doomsday announcement echoes Bautista’s frustrations. Sometimes, even beloved, established characters find themselves sidelined as studios chart long-term storylines. Moreover, for Bautista, the door to the DCU is clearly not closed. With James Gunn carefully building Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters, it seems likely Bautista will get his moment eventually.
