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In the early 2000s, Batista rose to prominence in WWE. His physique and signature dragon tattoo set him apart from the others. His alliance with Evolution alongside Ric Flair, Triple H, and Randy Orton gave him a stronger foothold in his WWE run.
As The Animal progressed to singles competition and became a multi-time World Heavyweight Champion, he garnered a mass fan following. He developed his iconic entrance with the fireworks in the background as he imitated machine guns.
On an edition of RAW in the mid-2000s, Batista was warming up for a match when a fan ran past him. He stopped to mimic The Animal's signature entrance before resuming to run away from security guards. The WWE star looked on with a confused expression and smirked. There were reports of the segment being scripted, but it continues to be one of the most entertaining.
The fan was later identified as Michael Corcoran, aka 'Brock Lesnar Guy.' He took on the moniker following an incident upon the multi-time WWE Champion's return in 2012. As The Beast's music hit, the camera panned across fans, and Corcoran was spotted doing the Lesnar pose and was instantly dubbed the 'Brock Lesnar Guy.' He also wears the same t-shirt for many wrestling shows and events, making it easy to spot him in the crowd.
Corcoran has also attended multiple AEW and IMPACT Wrestling shows. WWE's loyal fan base has led to many of them becoming popular over the years. Most notable are children who showcase their disappointment when their favorite stars lose in matches.
Batista bid adieu to his character in The Guardians of the Galaxy movie franchise
Batista took to acting from 2006 onwards. He took on the role of Aldar on an episode of Smallville and a few other minor parts across films and television shows. His big break came in 2014 when he was featured in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy as Drax the Destroyer.
Earlier this year, the 54-year-old noted he was bidding farewell to the beloved character after nearly a decade. During an interaction with GQ, The Animal proclaimed his love for Drax and looked forward to taking on more dramatic roles.
“But there’s a relief [that it’s over]. It wasn’t all pleasant. It was hard playing that role,” he added. “The makeup process was beating me down. And I just don’t know if I want Drax to be my legacy—it’s a silly performance, and I want to do more dramatic stuff.” [H/T CNN Entertainment]
The two-time WWE Champion played notable roles in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Army of the Dead, Dune, and Knock at the Cabin. Prior to WrestleMania 38, there were rumors of Batista being inducted into the Hall of Fame in the aftermath of previous postponements. However, it did not come to fruition.
