Dave Bautista Rumored for a "Significant" Role in 'The Avengers 3'

As someone who has been following the career of Dave Bautista since he first entered the WWE as Deacon Bautista (wearing a really embarrassingly tight shirt), it's been surreal to see the heights he's now reached as an actor. It's the same feeling many people probably have about Dwayne Johnson and the meteoric success he's achieved. But Bautista was a less sure thing when he exited the squared circle to pursue his acting goals, and it can be argued the fame has come faster than it did for Johnson. His breakout role as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy comes only a couple of years after Bautista's first really big role in The Man with the Iron Fists, which few saw and even less liked. Bautista is a star now, though, and Marvel may be on the verge of rewarding him in a very big way.

It's always a little sketchy trusting a wrestling news site because their Hollywood insights are questionable, but PWMania says Marvel are about to give Bautista a new big money contract. Part of that deal, which we know will lock him in for multiple films, would be to give him a significant role in The Avengers 3.  That may not be as crazy as it sounds. We all know that Thanos is the major villain causing headaches throughout the Marvel Universe right now, and the entire Guardians of the Galaxy team has a personal score to settle with the "Mad Titan". So it would make some sense for them to appear and fight alongside the Avengers in one major battle, although I don't envy Joss Whedon or whoever else is in charge of coordinating all of those characters.

Bautista has always said he intends to return to wrestling and during the build to WrestleMania he came back for a shortened run with the company. It didn't turn out as he or Vince McMahon expected. They thought his newfound fame would make fans love him but instead they turned on him, forcing Bautista to play the heel for the bulk of his return. And now there are apparently some in Hollywood who say he should leave the WWE behind for good as a result. They also don't want him to take an injury in a match and risk his acting career, which is what happened when Johnson got hurt in his WrestleMania match and had to delay filming on Hercules.

Next up for Bautista is the Kickboxer remake in which he'll co-star with Captain America: The Winter Soldier's Georges St. Pierre.