Lex Luthor is Dave Bautista's DC Dream Role.
James Gunn has expressed his wish to bring Guardians of the Galaxy franchise members into the DC Universe, but one well-known actor might realize his DC dream somewhere else than the official DCU. Renowned for his performance of Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy, Dave Bautista might find his much-desired DC part in an other DC universe.
Dave Bautista Dreams of Playing Lex Luthor
Bautista revealed in an interview with Screen Rant his strong wish to play Lex Luthor. Although at first he was a fan favorite for the physically demanding character of Bane, the actor acknowledged he feels too old for it. But his new aim is the venerable villain Lex Luthor.
Inspired by a recommendation he came across online, Bautista's passion for playing Lex Luthor results from his vision of the character as an older variation. James Gunn sadly already cast Nicholas Hoult as a younger Lex Luthor in the forthcoming Superman reboot. Although this would limit Bautista's prospects inside the official DCU, it does not rule out his playing Lex in another DC universe.
Bautista could voice. Hell Yeah, Lex Luthor In Kite Man! And maybe Harley Quinn as well.
Though a live-action Lex Luthor aside from Hoult seems improbable in the near future, Bautista still has a chance to play the villain in animation. This could enable him to both possibly play another live-action Dcu character and fulfill his Lex Luthor dream. The animated series Harley Quinn and its spinoff, Kite Man: Hell Yeah!, most certainly provide the path for this.
Currently voicing Lex Luthor in Harley Quinn, Giancarlo Esposito has replaced the role with Lance Reddick in Kite Man: Hell Yeah! Given Reddick's death and Esposito's packed calendar, DC might be looking for a new voice actor. Complementing his Lex Luthor ambition, Bautista might be the ideal fit for either Harley Quinn or Kite Man: Hell Yeah!
Dave Bautista could play what other DC Villains in the DCU?
Bautista might find interesting roles within the DCU even if he might not be able to portray Lex Luthor. Hugo Strange is a suitable substitute since his goal is to show an older villain. The Batman villain has cold behavior and a brilliant intelligence, much as Lex Luthor does. The complexity of Hugo Strange would be exactly captured in Bautista's acting.
For Bautista, another possible Batman villain could be Mr. Freeze. Usually showing as older, the character has a sad past which lets Bautista highlight his actor range. Bautista might also think about performing physically demanding powerhouse villains like Darkseid or Mongul depending on CGI. This would let him voice Lex Luthor and perform another powerful role in Gunn's DCU.
