With a key supporting role in another huge blockbuster under his belt (Spectre is already breaking box office records for the James Bond franchise before it even opens in the United States), Dave Bautista's stock continues to rise.
Part of why is that he's proving himself to be a tireless promoter of projects he works on, and a really compelling interview on the grueling pre-release press circuit. That all comes through in the interview he did with entertainment reporter Chris Van Vliet that you can watch above.
And the great thing for wrestling fans, is that he's more than willing to answer questions about his past and potential future with WWE.
After chatting about his role as Mr. Hinx in Spectre, and how pro wrestling prepared him to be successful playing a Bond villain's henchman, Bautista shared with Van Vliet the advice he got from Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson on dealing with WWE while pursuing a Hollywood career:
I always thought it was amazing that he was able to go from film to wrestling, film to wrestling, film to wrestling, and he described it as "quicksand". Especially with the company, because WWE...they're very controlling. They're not the easiest company to deal with and he said, just, "it's quicksand, man. Don't get caught in the quicksand. Don't...you know, you're not trapped here, man. You have to be strong, you have to stand your ground and if this [acting] is what you want to do, you have to make it known that this is what you're gonna do and you're not gonna deviate from that plan. You're not gonna be flexible about it. This is what you've gotta do.
So that's what I did. When I went back for my short stint with the WWE, I said, "this is how long I can stay, I can't stay any longer because I've got these other obligations."
He made it work for me...he helped me make it work.
One thing that's interesting about that quote is how it paints a different picture about his return than reports from the beginning and end of his run did. In late 2013 and Summer of 2014 it was a long-term deal he was expected to return to. Bautista makes it sound like there was never any commitment to work beyond the Guardians of the Galaxy (which, at the time, was far from a sure-fire hit).
Just how Vince McMahon's company is "not the easiest" to work with came up again when Van Vliet and Dave talked about his last run.
I don't, you know, know if it would go any different because it was just butting heads with the company. I was just constantly butting heads with them creative - creatively. Which is something we talked about well beforehand and I was promised things that weren't delivered to me.
Because I really, for one, I didn't want to go back as a babyface. I said, "it's not gonna work, man. They don't want to see me as a babyface. They're gonna be ahhh [gag gesture]." Nobody wants to see Batista as a babyface. I'm the worst babyface EVER. But I'm a good heel. I know how to be a heel. I'm comfortable being a heel, and the fans want me to be a heel. But they tried to shove me down everybody's throats.
They [fans] rebel. They know what you're trying to do. You're being shoved down their throats. They're not idiots. And they don't like it, they don't want it. So it just makes them rebel more and it just became a state of confusion where they didn't know what to do with me, so they just sent me out every week regurgitating the same crap. And it was just horrible. And it was when I had finally been there for a few months where I finally just started to find my niche, they kind of just let me go with what my strengthes were...when people started reacting to me in a good way, in a positive way...but then I had to go. Then I had to go and fulfill my obligations with Marvel and it's just kind of sucked.
In those quotes, he sounds pretty down on WWE, but he clarifies that that's not the whole story. He just really hates dealing with certain elements of the machine. What he really wants is a version of Chris Jericho's last run...
At the end of the day, I love WWE and I wouldn't wrestle - and I've proven that I wouldn't wrestle - anywhere else. You know, I feel like wrestling anywhere else is a step-down. I love the company and I will always be appreciative for what they've done for me. And I would love to go back, it's just that they're really hard to deal with, um, and right now, my passion is acting. And I just love it, so I'm pursuing it.
But if the opportunity comes up, and they'll be a little more flexible with me, as far as creative, I'd love to.
But I'd also, and I said I would do this in a heart beat, without any big - you know, I don't want big money, I don't want a limited schedule - if they would allow me to go back and just do house shows? I'd be all over it.
Cause then you just skip all the red tape. You don't have to deal with creative, the writers...all that bullshit. You don't have to deal with it. Just go back and do your thing. And my thing is wrestling. Wrestlers. Audience. That's all I want, man.
A ring, wrestlers, audience...that's my favorite thing.
It's interesting, because for all his talk about being "the worst babyface", Dave comes across extremely humble and likeable in these interviews. And even if he wants to play a heel in the ring, if he keeps criticizing WWE creative and talking about his love of, not sports entertainment, but wrestling, any potential return might have to be as a fan favorite.
We like him. And The Animal might just have to deal with it.