Dave Bautista’s WWE return has been on the minds of fans ever since he retired from professional wrestling. Given the way he went out, the six-time World Champion needs another round in the ring like Ric Flair and Stone Cold Steve Austin.
WWE Superstar Batista’s last appearance inside the squared circle was on April 7, 2019. He faced his friend and mentor Triple H in a No Holds Barred match at WrestleMania 35, putting his career on the line. The Animal emphasized the match, both in storyline and in real life.
Dave Bautista fans would have liked a better send-off as The Game was dominated by the former champion throughout the bout. The infamous nose piercing incident rubbed salt on the wounds.
Dave Bautista’s WWE return unfortunately may not be in the foreseeable future. In 2019, Fightful reported that Batista would avoid competing in the ring at all costs, but could continue to appear on WWE programming. The wrestler-turned-actor still holds on to this notion as Justice Con found out in 2021.
“That’s not the case with me. I went out of business like this in storybook form, I could never go back. I’m done. I have to get the job done on my own terms and nothing will bring me back.” There’s not going to be bring or take away from him,” Dave Bautista said. (5:10 – 5:30)
Nevertheless, Batista is scheduled to appear in WWE in 2023 to complete his Hall of Fame induction ceremony. He was to headline the Class of 2020 but the event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. WWE then merged the classes of 2020 and 2021, but asked to postpone his induction due to Batista being unavailable for the ceremony.
Since his departure from WWE, Batista has starred in several hit films including Army of the Dead and Escape Plan: The Extractors. He also played the role of Drax the Destroyer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Dune 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy 3 are some of his upcoming projects.
Rian Johnson Hails Dave Bautista As The Greatest “Wrestler-Turned-Actor”
Veteran director Rian Johnson lauded Dave Bautista’s acting skills in a recent interview with The Atlantic. He worked with the former WWE Superstar on Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and was impressed by the authenticity that Bautista brought to the role.
“Bautista is really, immediately vulnerable when you meet him, and that’s what I was excited about. This is someone who has the physical trappings of someone who plays it big, but he Really brings out the sensibility to the role,” said Riyan.
Written, directed and co-produced by Rian Johnson, the film was released on September 10, 2022 and has been nominated for and won several film awards. Dave Bautista plays Duke Cody, a men’s rights activist and Twitch streamer, alongside top actors like Daniel Craig and Kathryn Hahn.