Dave Bautista has spent the last decade laboring to establish himself as a gifted actor. He has shown his comedic and action skills many times over in his roles as Drax in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but has also performed in more simple, dramatic roles in Blade Runner 2049, Dune, and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story.
Knock at the Cabin, directed by M. Night Shyamalan, is expected to add another string to his bow, with critics applauding his performance as a mysterious stranger Leonard. We won't go into further into his character because we don't want to spoil the film, but let's say he knocks his role out of the park.
Many are making comparisons to Bautista's long-time wrestler-turned-actor rival Dwayne Johnson, whose popular DC superhero film Black Adam flopped out of the gate and was ultimately disappointing at the box office.
Bautista has a wider ranging range, right?
Is there a higher standard of praise?
The shield has been thrown down:
Johnson is a bit unjust as he can move, but he almost always plays the same kind of character:
Johnson isn't a jerk, because what he does he does exceptionally well. That said, it's been widely noted that Johnson not only plays the same kind of character, but usually looks the same:
We'd love to see Johnson take this as a challenge and try to broaden the roles he takes. Black Adam is an interesting character, though it's more a throwback than a journey into unknown territory.
Bautista has set a new benchmark for wrestlers-turned-actors with Knock at the Cabin. Let's hope it inspires Johnson to take on more dangerous roles.
Today, Knock at the Cabin is released in cinemas.