Batista says he doesn't want to be like The Rock

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Batista doesn't hold back (Image courtesy: First Look Entertainment/Universal Pictures)

If there is something that Batista isn't afraid to do, it's speaking his mind. Batista said that The Rock appears "very professional wrestling" to him and that he doesn't want to be that guy.

Batista, who retired from WWE in 2019, has gone on to have a successful movie career. He has appeared as Drax in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and has also featured in Spectre, Stuber, and My Spy.

Batista was speaking during a set visit by JoBlo.com of his upcoming film, Army of the Dead, directed by Zack Snyder, premiering on Netflix on 14th May. Like The Rock, he was able to cross over to the movies.

On the physicality that he brings to all his roles, he said he wants to go the other route and not limit himself to just being a physical presence on screen

"No, because I’ve tried to go the other route. Like, The Rock is a perfect example of someone who uses that strength, so I wanted to go against that grain and make everything much smaller, very subtle. I make a living off of subtlety. I want that to be my strength. I want that to be what separates us. I don’t want to be that guy who walks in that room, I never wanted to be that guy," Batista said.

Talking to @DaveBautista on the set of #ArmyOfTheDead about working with @ZackSnyder, his future plans, feelings on @JamesGunn coming back to Guardians and why Drax should’ve killed Thanoshttps://t.co/zhFkcfsyh5 pic.twitter.com/ValVQfRdKg

— Arctic Ninja Paul (@arcticninjapaul) April 20, 2021

Batista wants people to judge his acting

Batista has taken roles that require him to do something different (Pic Source: Blade Runner 2049)

Further in the interview, Batista said that this was not a shot at The Rock but rather his desire to do something else entirely. Batista believes The Rock is more of a 'character,' while he wants to be judged on his acting. He said:

"No, I don’t mean that as a dig on him, but you know how he is as a character. He feels very professional wrestling to me. I don’t want to be that guy. I want to be an actor. I want to act, I want people to judge me for my acting, my subtlety. I want to take roles that require that. I don’t want to be a big action guy who just says cool s**t and kills a lot of people and gets the girl. I don’t want to be that guy. I want to guy that makes people cry, who makes people think, who inspires people. I want to be a dramatic actor. I just love it. I love acting," Batista declared.

Best acting peformance I've seen from a wrestler is @DaveBautista in Blade Runner 2049. He thoroughly transforms himself into the character. Hoping Sasha Banks will land something this challenging. She has it in her. https://t.co/stJQqmtgPl #SashaBanks #Batista #BladeRunner2049

— Sasha Banks Vs Bianca Belair at Wrestlemania :) (@drinking7up) January 27, 2021

Batista seems interested in plotting a different career path than The Rock, who has become one of Hollywood's most bankable stars. It'll be interesting to see how he moves forward in his career.

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