While in the past many avid moviegoers didn't think WWE -- or wrestling superstars in general -- could transition to the big screen, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has certainly proven them wrong. The Edge, Undertaker and Big Show have also made cameos in movies and TV shows, but the Rock certainly took it to new heights with his Hollywood career, becoming one of the leading men in the entertainment business today. Now, with Dave Bautista's stock on the rise as Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy, he's finally poised to reach similar heights as well, thanks to Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead.
Bautista hasn't had many breakout roles to date, which parallels the career trajectory of the Rock. The latter had some laughable duds, such as The Tooth Fairy and as the Scorpion King, but bit by bit, we saw how he could mix comedy and action. The Other Guys was a perfect meld, and pretty soon, he joined the G.I. Joe, Fast & Furious and Jumanji franchises, where he definitely showed he could lead, setting himself up in the DC film verse as Black Adam.
Much like the Rock, Bautista has some misses under his cape as well, with the likes of Hotel Artemis and Escape Plan. My Spy was also a massive dud. However, Bautista drastically improved in Stuber, as a rogue cop trying to make a name for himself. In the buddy cop film, he showed tremendous potential playing alongside Kumail Nanjiani, who'll be in Marvel's Eternals.
What really stands out is -- like in the Rock's early days -- Bautista is unchaining himself from support roles like Blade Runner 2049. With roles in Dune and more Drax to come, he's showing he deserves more screen time in leading roles.
Snyder's Army of the Dead provides an opportunity for the director to do his own thing and really drive the spectacle, rather than just be a cog in the machine. Honestly, the timing couldn't be more perfect for the Justice League's Snyder Cut fanbase. And from the trailers, Bautista seems in his element as a down-on-his-luck soldier, invading Vegas and killing zombies to steal cash. It's rowdy, wild and fits his WWE persona, only now he has guns and mercenaries with him. Bautista may finally get to show his full emotional range the same way the Rock did when he started coming into his own.
Army of the Dead should create bigger opportunities for Bautista. He's more or less drifted away from WWE to totally focus on his film career. In a way, he is following the Rock's formula and John Cena's too. Using this template, Bautista has displayed patience on a slow crawl and not letting the setbacks hold him back. All he needs is a director to really believe and push him, a role Snyder could provide. Hopefully, slaying the undead will propel him fully into stardom, especially as it's such a popular genre, not even the Rock waded into.
Directed and co-written by Zack Snyder, Army of the Dead stars Dave Bautista, Garret Dillahunt, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Raul Castillo, Tig Notaro, Theo Rossi and Ana de la Reguera. The film arrives on Netflix May 21.
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