Is Dave Bautista Teasing DCU Talks With James Gunn?

Since working together on Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, Dave Bautista and James Gunn have become close friends. Even though their working days on the Guardians have now come to a close, it looks like the two may be reunited sooner than expected. Bautista recently shared a photo from what appears to be the lot of DC Studios, leading some to believe the actor may be in ongoing talks with the new movie studios and Gunn, who’s now sitting atop DC Studios along with Peter Safran.

On his Instagram Stories, Bautista shared a photo of himself sitting in a parking spot reserved for Gunn before tagging him in it. Gunn then shared it adding, “Hey [Dave Bautista] I can’t believe you’re parking your body in my space.”

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Naturally, the interaction quickly led to plenty of speculation, with many going to frequent fancasting options like Bane. Others started lobbying for the actor to play Hugo Strange, with some even fancasting the Knock at the Cabin star as Brainiac in the upcoming Superman: Legacy.

What is Superman: Legacy going to be about?

When Superman: Legacy picks up, movie-goers will see a world already full of superheroes, and Superman is already in the midst of his crime-fighting career. The film is set to feature Lex Luthor and Eve Teschmacher as antagonists, and rumors also point toward the potential inclusion of Brainiac as well.

“It’s not an origin story,” DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran told reporters earlier this year. “It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Superman represents truth, justice, and the American way. He has kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old fashioned.”

Superman: Legacy tells the story of Superman’s journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned.” Along with David Corenswet’s Clark Kent and Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane, the cast includes Nathan Fillion as the Guy Gardner Green Lantern, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Anthony Carrigan as the mass-shifting Metamorpho, and María Gabriela de Faría as The Authority’s The Engineer.

The DC Universe officially kicks off with Creature Commandos, which has yet to set a release date, and Superman: Legacy, which enters theaters July 11, 2025.

What part of Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters excites you most? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting our writer @AdamBarnhardt up on Twitter!