While The Batman is set to pit its titular hero against an all-star cast of villains, it looks like Bane won’t be one of them–or at the very least, if he is, he won’t be played by Dave Bautista.
Following widespread speculation that Bautista would be cast to play Bane in the upcoming Batman film–including a tweet of the wrestler-turned-actor at the Warner Bros office tagged #DreamChaser–Bautista has shut down the rumors once and for all.
As reported by Collider, Bautista responded to a fan’s tweet asking whether he “may be, should be, could be” playing Bane in The Batman opposite its unlikely hero, Robert Pattinson. In a heartbreakingly short tweet, Dave Bautista simply replied: “Unfortunately it’s not. Tried my best.”
The actor is much loved in the realm of comic book movies for his role as Drax in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy series and all its various crossovers. Bautista has expressed interest in getting into DC’s side of the business before, including Guardians director James Gunn’s upcoming Suicide Squad sequel/reboot.