Dave Bautista Campaigns For Lead Role In Netflix's 'Gears of War'

It's like former WWE Champion Dave Bautista used to say in WWE, "Give me what I want!" Well, what he wants is to play the lead in the live-action "Gears of War" movie!

As reported by The Blast, Netflix has acquired the media rights to produce a live-action "Gears of War" movie and adult animated series for Netflix. And none other than Bautista himself is angling for the lead role of iconic "Gears of War" hero and protagonist, Marcus Fenix. Batista posted a video on his own Twitter to show that he's openly campaigning for the role:

https://twitter.com/DaveBautista/status/1590837419791695872

The former WWE Superstar wrote in the caption of his tweet, "I can’t make this any easier. @gearsofwar@netflix#marcusfenix#GearsofWar" The viral video shows Batista opening up a case and remarking, "This is my kind of ****." He then puts on the trademark COG armor from the franchise before remarking, "It's about ****ing time," and putting on a pair of stylish shades.

The message is clear. Bautista wants to play the lead role of Marcus Fenix in "Gears of War." Netflix is currently developing a live-action movie and an adult-themed animated series with The Coalition, the developers for the video game franchise and Microsoft IP.

https://twitter.com/therealcliffyb/status/1590849559743279104

What's more, "Gears of War" video game creator and designer Cliff Bleszinski gave Bautista a resounding endorsement for the role. He later responded, "Brother, as the designer of 1 2 and 3, you're my first choice." Bleszinski worked on the original 'GoW' games featuring Marcus Fenix as the main protagonist, so if anyone knows or should have a say on the casting, it should probably be him.

Since Bautista posted his tweet, it's gotten a ton of attention and social engagement, with the video garnering over 2.5 million views and receiving more than 129,500 likes.

The response to Bautista's personal campaign for the Marcus Fenix role has received an overwhelmingly positive response, with former AEW wrestler Big Swole writing, "This is doooppppeee!" Meanwhile, Twitch streamer Nicholas DeDrio wrote, "LETS GOOOOO!"

Netflix has not announced any casting news on the upcoming "Gears of War" live-action movie. There aren't even any producers or filmmakers onboard their 'GoW' projects yet. It's only known that The Coalition will be collaborating with Netflix on the projects, and they will be starting over from scratch, taking a blank slate approach after past failed attempts at adapting the franchise to the big screen.

In short, it might be a while before Netflix is ready to start casting the film or Bautista can land the role. However, Bautista has certainly proven his acting chops in major franchises before, and he also shares a physical resemblance to Marcus Fenix's video game character model.

After leaving WWE in 2010, Bautista managed to parlay his professional wrestling career into a successful one in film and television. He later scored a lead role in Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" in the role of Drax the Destroyer. After a brief return to WWE in 2014, he later appeared in such blockbusters as "James Bond: Spectre," "Blade Runner 2049," and "Dune."

Bautista has also worked on Netflix productions before. He starred in the 2021 Zack Snyder film, "Army of the Dead," which was co-produced by Netflix and released exclusively on the streaming service.

Next up for Bautista, he reprises his role as Drax the Destroyer once more in "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3." The new holiday special, featuring Drax meeting Kevin Bacon, arrives exclusively on Disney+ on November 25. The third and final outing of the current "Guardians" team arrives in theaters on May 5, 2023.

Bautista also has a leading role in another Netflix IP, "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery," which hits the streamer on December 23. As reported by The Blast, The film will have a limited one-week preview release in theaters before its official Netflix debut.

https://youtu.be/OYhFFQl4fLs

Lastly, Bautista will reprise the role of Glossu Rabban in "Dune: Part Two," which is scheduled for a November 2023 theatrical release. While it's fun to see that Bautista is serious about wanting the role of Marcus Fenix for the "Gears of War" franchise, it remains to be seen if that will come to fruition.