Dave Bautista Gets Zero Rom-Com Offers: Am I That Ugly?

Dave Bautista’s filmography spans comic book movies (“Guardians of the Galaxy”), science-fiction tentpoles (“Dune,” “Blade Runner 2049”), action comedies (“Stuber”) and family movies (“My Spy”). One genre that’s missing is the romantic comedy, but that’s not been a deliberate choice. Bautista told Page Six that he’d love to star in a rom-com but he’s never gotten a single offer to do so. Not one.

“I know I’m not your typical rom-com lead,” Bautista said. “I’m a little rough around the edges. But I always, you know, I look in the mirror and I say, I ask myself, ‘Am I that unattractive? Is there something that unappealing about me that excludes me from these parts?’”

“I don’t know,” Bautista added. “It’s just never come my way. I’ve never had an offer to do a rom-com. I still have high hopes. I’ll just keep searching.”

Bautista next dives into the horror-thriller genre with a key role in M. Night Shyamalan’s “Knock at the Cabin.” The actor stars as Leonard, a man plagued by visions that have convinced him the world is set to end. Later this year, Bautista will return to comic book movies and sci-fi tentpoles with “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” and “Dune Part II.”

The future of Bautista’s career currently does not include any rom-coms, and it also doesn’t include his dream role of Bane in the DC Universe. The actor recently revealed that he’s moved on from trying to play the Batman villain despite telling Warner Bros. a couple years ago that they should give him the role.

“I have had conversations with [new DC Studios boss] James Gunn about that,” Bautista said, “but I think the direction he’s leaning in, completely rebooting that whole universe, he’s starting from scratch and starting younger and fresher and I think you need to do that. I think for the DC Universe to be revived, you need to start from scratch, and I think you need to start with younger actors. You need to start to plan for the next 15 years, and I just don’t think you can do that with me. And I understand that.”

Bautista added, “I have to say that I appreciate that because I don’t want to play a character that I can’t bring justice to it. I don’t think at this point in my career that I can bring justice to Bane anymore. I just don’t know if I could handle the physical part, and I don’t think I would have the longevity to plan ahead for films. So, I just don’t know if I’d be that guy.”

Universal Pictures is opening “Knock at the Cabin” in theaters on Friday.