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M. Night Shyamalan said that he cast Batista as the lead in his next movie, Knock at the Cabin, due to his performance in Blade Runner 2049.
The former WWE Superstar has become successful in movies and TV since he became a full-time actor. While his turn as Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy series and the MCU put him on the map, he has strived to broaden his acting resume. That different role came in 2017's Blade Runner 2049, which caught the attention of M. Night Shyamalan.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Shyamalan highlighted Batista's performance as a critical factor for wanting to work with him:
“I was really taken by what Denis [Villeneuve] and Dave [Bautista] did in that scene in Blade Runner [2049]. He was still in a way that was powerful. There’s a type of stillness where you’re not doing nothing; you’re doing everything and you’re still. Every cell in your body will do what it’s supposed to do if you’re thinking something correctly. And Dave was embodying all of this philosophy in that scene…I didn’t know who he was at that time, and he stuck in my head. So when this script came, I was like, ‘There seems to be one guy who can play this giant human being and do the stillness,’ so I asked Dave.”
It's interesting to see Batista's growth as an actor. Garnering praise from the likes of Shyamalan doesn't hurt one bit. One does wonder what he and Shyamalan will cook up together. Knock on the Cabin is slated to release in 2023.
Batista is currently filming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
While Batista will next be seen in Knives Out 2, he's still in production on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The movie will release in 2023 and mark the end of Batista's time in the MCU. The actor pointed out that the franchise started his acting career and will be wrapping things up for his portrayal as Drax.
While things may change in the future, it's pretty clear that Batista's acting career is bright, with more challenging roles awaiting him.
