CM Punk wants to follow in Batista's post-WWE footsteps

CM Punk is keen to appear in a variety of different movies in the same way that Batista (Dave Bautista) has over the last decade.

Since his initial 10-year WWE run ended in 2010, Batista has starred in several movies with different genres. CM Punk has also appeared in movies since his WWE exit in 2014, including the horror film — 'Girl on the Third Floor.'

Speaking to Movie Trivia Schmoedown’s Kristian Harloff, Punk recently highlighted how Batista has pushed himself to portray vastly different characters in every movie he appears in.

“I watch guys, friends of mine, Dave Bautista, do these huge blockbuster roles but also do roles that are challenging to him because he wants to grow and be a better actor,” Punk said. “I just want to follow in his footsteps, you know what I mean? And it’s not because I want to be rich or to be famous but I see how fun acting is and I see how playing dress-up, essentially, how fun that can be. When stuff’s hard, I tend to want to do it more and be good at it. I have that personality trait.”

CM Punk starred in the horror-thriller movie 'Jakob’s Wife' earlier this year. Batista’s next film, Dune, is set to be released in the United States in October.

What’s next for Batista and CM Punk in pro wrestling?

Batista was due to be inducted into the 2020 WWE Hall of Fame at the 2021 ceremony before WrestleMania 37. However, due to a scheduling conflict, his induction has been delayed until a future Hall of Fame ceremony.

Meanwhile, CM Punk is widely expected to make his long-awaited pro wrestling return on next week’s episode of AEW Rampage in Chicago, Illinois. The Chicago-born star has not worked for a wrestling company since walking out on WWE in 2014.