Would Dave Bautista have been the perfect Peacemaker? The actor reveals why he turned down the now iconic role in the DC Universe.
There have been a lot of “almost” castings in the world of superhero movies. Some of the most famous include Tom Cruise almost playing Iron Man, Joaquin Phoenix almost playing Doctor Strange, and Asa Butterfield almost playing Spider-Man. However, one of the most recently viral cases of this stems from the fact that Dave Bautista almost played Peacemaker prior to John Cena taking on his defining role in the DC Universe.
The question of “why” has floated around this missed role for quite some time. James Gunn is infamous for casting his friends in his projects. And given Dave Bautista has been open about wanting to join the DC Universe for years at this point, it’s kind of shocking that the actor didn’t jump at the chance to play Peacemaker. The answer, funnily enough, seems to be that Zack Snyder kept it from happening.
“I have to say, that one. I really wanted to do that part,” Bautista told ComicBook.com. “[James Gunn] wrote that part for me, and it was meant for me, and it just became a scheduling thing where I just couldn’t do it, because I was doing Army of the Dead. And so it was a scheduling issue that we just could not figure out.”
Does Dave Bautista Regret Not Playing Peacemaker?
As with any career, it would likely be natural for an actor like Dave Bautista to envy John Cena taking on the role that got away. However, it seems that the actor holds no ill-will toward the Peacemaker star. In fact, for as much as he’d loved to have taken on the role, Bautista admits that Cena was probably able to capture the character better.
“And I think it was great. It was a blessing in disguise that I didn’t do that, because I have to say, I have to be honest, there’s no way that I would have been able to do that role like John. He’s just perfect for it, you know, and I wouldn’t have done it justice, and it wouldn’t have been as successful”
“So, look, and I am, I’m saying that with a bit of envy, you know, I would love it. I just wouldn’t have been able to do the same thing that John does to bring to that character. It wouldn’t have been the same. It wouldn’t have been as good. I can honestly say it wouldn’t have been as good.”
It’s good to hear that there’s no bad blood between Dave Bautista and John Cena over the role of Peacemaker. Given Bautista’s passion over joining the DC Universe, it’s likely that the two actors will cross paths on the silver screen at some point in the future. Though as for who Bautista will play? That’s only known to him and James Gunn!
Peacemaker season 2 is now streaming on HBO Max. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the future of the DC Universe and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!
