When you look at Dave Bautista, the last thing you think of is failure.
And the actor loves him for it.
We never [laughs]…
Image: Warner Bros.
I only heard rumblings that there might not be a second film.
We never had that official conversation with Denis.
I think he always had confidence that there would be.
Rabban in Part OneImage: Warner Bros.
I think hes a person who has a vision and he doesnt stray from that vision.
I think his vision was never one film, so I think he never abandoned that.
So we never had the conversation.
Bautista with Villeneuve and Austin Butler.Image: Warner Bros.
And I also was pretty confident because I saw the first film and I was like, its amazing.
Its not only beautiful storytelling, but it just really cuts off and it leaves you hanging.
And I didnt see a world where people wouldnt want to have closure on that.
Image: Warner Bros.
So I never lost faith at all.
But it was a sign of the times we were living in.
It was uncertain times.
Thats what it was meant to be.
But yeah, I never thought that there wouldnt be a second film.
io9: Most of the guys you play, for obvious reasons, are pretty capable, right?
However this guy, besides his size and strength, is kind of an idiot.
Bautista: [Laughs]
io9: And kind of a failure.
So was it fun to play somebody that is the butt of all the jokes?
Bautista: For sure.
For me, thats why Im in this, man.
Because I want to play characters that are layered and interesting, and not cliches or generic.
Thats also the challenge.
But I also think thats my obsession.
So thats what I loved about him.
I mean, I always search out roles because I do have this chip on my shoulder.
Its never going to go away.
And I never wanted to be stuck in that lane.
And so this gives me the opportunity to prove my point.
Hes just one way.
Hes just a brute and thats all he is.
Bautista: Yes, almost.
But if I just had that one opportunity, then that could be a real accomplishment.
io9: Oh I think you nailed it.
Ive always known that about myself.
I discovered that in WWE and I just let it all out.
On one side of the curtain in WWE, before I came out, I was dry heaving.
I was a nervous wreck.
I was a mess, and I was always thinking,God, everythings going to go wrong.
Im not warmed up enough.
Oh man, I dont know what to do.
And its the same with this.
io9: Very cool.
Do you form a bond with the other people that youre with?
Bautista: Yeah, for sure.
No matter what you spend a lot of time with people in makeup trailers or on set or socially.
And so theres always going to be that camaraderie.
[But] selfishly, personally, like I want those scenes.
I want scenes with Timmy [Chalamet].
I want scenes and Zendaya.
I want scenes with Florence [Pugh].
I want a scene with Christopher Walken.
But it just, you know, it wasnt meant to be.
io9: You get a scene with Josh Brolin.
Bautista: You know, I love Josh.
Josh is one of my favorite people in the world.
Ive known Josh for years now through our Marvel experiences.
So I was pretty giddy getting to share scenes with him on this in this film.
And it was just nothing but fun.
And I love that our characters just despise each other.
Obviously, theres Gunn, Snyder, Shyamalan, and Villeneuve.
What sets Denis apart from the other ones youve worked with?
Bautista: Our conversations are different.
Theyve all been special experiences.
And theyve all made me rise as a performer and helped me in my career.
James Gunn changed my life.
His belief in me, his support of me, changed my life.
But our conversations have been different.
Denis supports me in a different way.
Our conversations are more intimate.
And he said this to me on the first film.
I was holding back because I was self-conscious [and] I was.
I was very unsure of myself.
And he came to me.
He said, I feel like youre holding back.
He said, Youre a very strong actor, my friend.
Just follow your instincts.
And so I started belting it out, and I started finding this character.
So it means everything.
io9: Wow, thats awesome.
So Im talking to Stellan [Skarsgard] after this and you have a lot of scenes with him.
What is it like working with him in that suit?
Because its got to be weird.
Do you laugh or are you just serious?
Bautista: Its very serious.
We are respectful because we know that its harsh.
The experience hes gone through, like what hes living with and what hes dealing with.
Eight hours, youre typically leaving work.
io9: Right, right.
Bautista: Hes just starting work.
And so its very respectful of him and what hes going through.
So were very respectful of his time.
Everybody this is from the top down.
But also the actors were very, aware that hes suffering.
Bautista: No, no.
When I said that I was done, I was really just done with my journey as Drax.
I still have a relationship with Marvel.
Ive seen Kevin Feige again, Lou [DEsposito] as recently as two weeks ago.
And they know that I would be up for a role.
I love the universethe superhero universe, I love it.
So Marvel or DC, if they call, I would answer the phone.
And if the role makes sense, Id be all over it.
I just would like the opportunity to do a bigger role, a different role.
Maybe a deeper role.
Id love to have the opportunity to play, like an ominous villain in the superhero universe.
Im not done with it.
But my journey with Drax is over.
Dune: Part Two opens Friday, March 1.
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