Dave Bautista is one of the few WWE greats who has not only enjoyed huge success in Hollywood but has also remained connected to his cultural heritage. The star is known to have several tattoos on his body, and some of these tattoos honor his mixed Greek and Filipino heritage.
Batista’s mother is Greek, and his father is from the Philippines. Dave Bautista has been vocal about being proud of his roots on several occasions, and his tattoos voice this pride the loudest. Notably, ‘The Animal’ has a tattoo of both the Greek and the Filipino flags fluttering side by side on his left shoulder.
The former four-time WWE World Champion also has a tattoo of the Filipino Sun on his left elbow. The Filipino sun is a symbol of the independence of the Philippines from Spanish occupation on July 4, 1946. The sun consists of eight rays, each depicting the eight regions of the Southeast Asian nation that fought and struggled for freedom.
While Dave Bautista has highlighted that he didn’t have the best relationship with his family, his mom always taught him to hold his roots in high regard. Batista also plays the role of Drax in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Guardians of the Galaxy, who also has several tattoos. Interestingly, ‘The Animal’ recently admitted that he wants to join the DC Universe
Dave Bautista Has Been Waiting for a Phone Call From James Gunn
Dave Bautista was notably offered the role of Peacemaker back in 2021 for The Suicide Squad. However, Batista declined the offer, and his WWE friend, John Cena, was cast for the role. The 56-year-old star recently appeared for an interview with ScreenRant’s Joe Deckelmeier.
‘The Animal’ was being interviewed for his recent post-apocalyptic film, Afterburn. When asked if he was going to join the DCU anytime soon, Batista admitted that he had been awaiting a phone call from DCU’s director, James Gunn, regarding a new spot for some time.
You know, I check back with them all the time to see, because I want to be in that world. And I don’t want to say I’m disappointed, but I was really just, you know, I was hoping a year or so ago that I would’ve gotten the call from James saying, “Hey man, we got something for you.
Dave Bautista also shared that he knows that the DCU does have some projects in the pipeline where he is told that he could be a fit. So far, however, Batista is an MCU-exclusive actor. While he passed up the opportunity to play Peacemaker four years ago, the 56-year-old is notably happy that John Cena got the role instead of him.
Dave Bautista Thinks John Cena as Peacemaker Is a “Blessing in disguise”
James Gunn had written the character of Peacemaker with Dave Bautista in mind. However, owing to clashes in scheduling, Gunn couldn’t turn Batista into Chris Smith for his DCU project. Interestingly, the 56-year-old actor recently highlighted that he believes that John Cena is the perfect fit for the character of Peacemaker in an interview with ComicBook.com.
And I think it was great. It was a blessing in disguise that I didn’t do that, because I have to say, I have to be honest, there’s no way that I would have been able to do that role like John… He’s just perfect for it, you know, and I wouldn’t have done it justice, and it wouldn’t have been as successful.
Although he is happy with how John Cena is portraying the character, he admitted that he really wanted the role, especially since it was written specifically for him. At the same time, however, although envious, Dave Bautista confessed that Cena is doing more justice to the character than he could have.
Do you think Dave Bautista would have been a better fit for Peacemaker? Or do you agree with Batista and think that John Cena is the perfect man for the job? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Peacemaker recently released its second season in August 2025, and you can watch it on Max.
