The currently very in-demand Dave Bautista once turned down the chance to be in the Fast and Furious franchise.
On top of the wrestler-turned-actor recently earning acclaim for his more dramatic roles in Glass Onion and Knock at the Cabin, he is set to appear in the massive blockbuster sequels Dune: Part Two and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 later this year.
However, despite landing roles in a number of mega-money franchises - including a Bond film as well - Bautista previously rejected the opportunity to be a part of the Fast and Furious series.
In 2021, the actor told Collider that he had a meeting with Universal to discuss potentially appearing in the Vin Diesel-led franchise. However, Bautista said he mostly attended to see if the studio was interested in him starring in a Gears of War adaptation.
"They wanted to talk to me about Fast and the Furious, and I said 'I’m not interested, let’s talk about [Gears of War character] Marcus Fenix,'" he recounted.
Bautista also said about the meeting: "I don’t mean to offend anybody. I’m not putting down anything else, I’m just saying [Gears] is way more interesting to me.
"I don't want to pretend like I'm actually interested in something I'm not when there’s something I'm actually really excited about that you guys have under control. 'Would you consider me for that?'
"I don't think there’s any harm in that. I’m not trying to step on anybody else’s toes, I’m just saying like: 'This is what I love and I’m seriously passionate about this. I can do a good job for you guys on this.'"
Meanwhile, Bautista recently revealed he has "high hopes" to be a rom-com leading man and that a Lethal Weapon-style movie starring him and Jason Momoa may begin shooting next year.
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