Dave Bautista made his superhero role debut almost twenty years ago in a singleSmallvilleepisode that introduced an originalDCvillain. Dave Bautista rose to worldwide fame as a WWE superstar, and he made a swift transition into Hollywood with his co-starring role in James Gunn’sThe Guardians of the Galaxy, where the former wrestler played the strong yet humorous and soft-hearted Drax the Destroyer. Besides his seven appearances as Drax in the MCU,Dave Bautista has gathered remarkable movie creditsin films such asArmy of the Dead,Dune,Knock at the Cabin, andGlass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.
Throughout its ten seasons and over ten years,Smallvilleintroduced several original characters who had no comic book counterparts. For instance, Chloe Sullivan, Lionel Luthor, Tina Greer, Jason Teague, and Alicia Baker are all characters created specifically for the show. WhileSmallvillefeatured famous DC Comics villainslike Metallo, General Zod, and Doomsday, and heroes like Cyborg, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter, the series spent most of its screentime developing other sources of conflict. To spice things up,Smallvillecame up with short battles between Clark Kent and some unexpected enemies.
Dave Bautista Appeared In The Smallville Season 6 Episode “Static”
Dave Bautista Made His Proper Acting Debut In Smallville
Dave Bautista’s first acting role was an unnamed wrestler in the 2006 comedyRelative Strangers, where he went uncredited. The same year,Dave Bautista got his first official acting credit inSmallvilleseason 6 episode 8, “Static”, where the wrestler played the Phantom Zone supervillain Aldar. In “Static”, Aldar is spotted killing a group of construction workers by ripping their bones out and consuming their marrow. Clark Kent is unable to stop Aldar using his powers or the Crystal of El, which confirms that while Aldar comes from the Phantom Zone, he isn’t a wraith. Fortunately, Martian Manhunter arrives just in time to save Clark and defeat Aldar.
AfterSmallville, Dave Bautista played minor characters in Werner Herzog’sMy Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done,Wrong Side of Town,Chuck, andHouse of the Rising Sun. Bautista received bigger roles inThe Man with the Iron FistsandRiddick. Then, in 2014, Bautista officially joined the MCU as Drax, and the rest is history. Bautista and James Gunn are close friends, andBautista has voiced his interest in playing a DC character. Hence, Dave Bautista is likely to play a role in James Gunn’s DCU over twenty years after his acting debut inSmallvilleas the minor villain Aldar.
Why Dave Bautista Was Credited As ‘Batista’ On Smallville
Dave Bautista Was Still Primarily Known As A Wrestling Star In 2006
Dave Bautista is credited as “Batista” inSmallville. From then on, he has been credited as “Dave Bautista” in almost every one of his movie and TV roles.The former WWE wrestler rose to fame with the “Batista” moniker, which he adopted around 1999.In an interview withUproxx, Bautista revealed that the OVW (Ohio Valley Wrestling promotion company) coined the name “Batista” in order to use it as a brand. According to the wrestler, he believed the change was intended to simplify his real name for worldwide audiences, but he was later told that the name was created so the company"could own it."
Indeed, Bautista kept the name “Batista” for the entirety of his wrestling career. Back in 2006, Dave Bautista was primarily known for his WWE stardom. Hence, his guest roles inSmallvilleand the comedy seriesNeighboursleaned on his wrestling popularity and his “Batista” brand, which he no longer uses. Outside the wrestling world, Bautista uses a shortened version of his birth name, David Michael Bautista Jr.
