Former WWE wrestler turned actor Dave Bautista lamented in a Page Six interview last year that he had never been offered a rom-com role, wondering if perhaps he just didn’t fit the visual mold of the genre. Earlier this week, however, Bautista reported that he was finally receiving calls about his dream character, teasing a softer side of the star’s typically hardcore persona that fans haven’t seen before.
With a repertoire chock-full of action heroes and tough-guy roles, it’s no wonder that Bautista is on the hunt for something different. In January 2023, he expressed an unfulfilled desire to act in a romantic comedy, but said that he’d never received offers for such a part — possibly due to his “rough around the edges” appearance. Fortunately, according to the Hollywood Insider, the tide seems to have turned for Bautista. The actor stated that, following his comments in January, he began receiving calls about potential rom-com roles almost immediately, and is now in the process of developing a few of those ideas.
Although Bautista emphasized his wish to star in a genuine romantic comedy — not just an action movie with romantic and comedic elements — he is already moving towards his goal in J.J. Perry’s The Killer’s Game, where Bautista plays a leading man with a love interest for the first time in his career. The film casts Bautista as an assassin diagnosed with a terminal illness who authorizes a hit on himself only to discover that he was misdiagnosed, and includes a romance sub-plot with a woman played by Algerian actress Sofia Boutella. This type of character is a significant step for Bautista, who confessed that the role was a nerve-wracking but ultimately necessary challenge in order to reach his ultimate goal as the leading love interest in a true romantic comedy.
It was nerve-wracking for me; I’m hoping people receive it well, still a little self-conscious about it. It was a challenge that I wanted… It was a couple of years ago where I said to myself I need to stop taking so many supporting roles, and I need to seek out lead roles, even if I have to create lead roles for myself.
Dave Bautista’s Long Road to Romance
In what may have been the best career decision of his life, Bautista began appearing in films as early as 2012 — and seemingly never looked back. Since then, he’s played a truly impressive plethora of characters, from muscled powerhouses like Drax the Destroyer in the MCU and Duke in Glass Onion, to a foreboding villain in Dune and a mysterious harbinger in M. Night Shyamalan’s horror film Knock at the Cabin. This wide variety of roles emphasizes Bautista’s ability to deliver incredible and drama-packed performances regardless of genre, and many fans believe that a Bautista-led rom-com would mark yet another success for the multi-faceted actor.
Although Bautista himself seems to believe that his physical appearance is not quite suited to romantic characters, fans were quick to offer possible rom-com plots upon hearing Bautista’s interest in the genre. For example, one Reddit user suggested using Bautista’s visage to his advantage, subverting audiences’ expectations by having him play a softer, more domestic character, while his love interest is a tough-as-nails hitman or assassin. Others preferred to stick to more traditional plots, envisioning Bautista as a bookshop owner or a barista. Either way, though, the prospect of a Bautista rom-com in the near future has many fans at the edge of their seats.
Dave Bautista’s latest movie,
The Killer’s Game
, is released in theaters on September 13.