The DCU is yet to make its theatrical debut, but there are already plenty of projects announced, including a supervillain team-up movie featuring Bane and Deathstroke, but they need to cast the right person as Bane to make it a success. Bane is a character that has been featured in the comics since 1993 when he first challenged Batman. Ever since, the juiced up supervillain has been a menace to The Dark Knight and Gotham in numerous stories across the comics and various media.
One of the most popular iterations of the character was seen in 2012 when Tom Hardy took on the role for Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises. However, while Hardy did an excellent job portraying Bane, there were plenty of comments that the voice of Bane was obscured and difficult to understand. Now, the DCU has a chance to get the character right, and that starts with casting the right actor in the role.
9 Dave Bautista
For years, Dave Bautista has apparently felt an affinity with the character of Bane and hoped to be cast in the role. However, more recently, the actor has spoken publicly about his desire to move away from intense, physically demanding roles and focus on other parts of his performance. For this reason, the former wrestler turned actor has stated that he would now prefer to play a character like an older Lex Luthor in the DCU.
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Regardless, it’s worth putting his name forward for the role, because the actor could be a perfect choice to tackle the large and brooding Bane. Considering his talent for playing tough guys, and occassionally more comedic roles, Bautista could be a great choice if cast in a team-up Bane and Deathstroke project. Such a film would require actors who are comfortable sharing the screen and creating chemistry, which Bautista has done in numerous projects like Guardians of the Galaxy, Army of the Dead, and The Killer’s Game.
8 Laz Alonso
Laz Alonso is another actor who has recently undergone a physical transformation, having lost a large amount of weight between the third season of The Boys and season 4. However, when looking at comments from the actor about his decision to lose weight and focus on his health, it’s clear he has the dedication required to transform his physique for his career (via The Direct). Alonso is a powerful and imposing man, regardless of whether he has that extra weight, or he’s running lean.
In order to play a character like Bane, the actor needs to have a physical presence, which is obviously aided by having larger muscles, but they also need to be intelligent, and considered. As seen from his time playing MM in the boys, Alonso is certainly capable of delivering intelligent and imposing characters. And, he has the ability to play emotional beats where he switches from calm and collected, to more violent and aggressive, which is another aspect in common with Bane.
7 Marko Zaror
Switching gears for a moment, there are other actors who currently fit the brief when it comes to the physical side that could be a great choice for Bane. For instance, Marko Zaror, who appeared as Chidi in John Wick Chapter 4, is an actor who is capable of delivering a performance that pits him against other impressive characters like Wick and still managing to assert a strong presence. In making a team-up movie, Bane needs to have this quality in order to avoid being overshadowed by Deathstroke.
Related Who should play Deathstroke in his DC movie with Bane?
Deathstroke will be coming to live-action in the future in a movie alongside Bane. Joe Manganiello will not be reprising the role, which opens the door for some exciting names to take over. If it’s just a one-off movie, DC could finally cast Avatar’s Stephen Lang as Deathstroke, making fan’s wishes come true after many years. However, if the movie is meant to be part of the new DCU, then an actor younger than Lang should be cast. Game of Thrones’ Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, The Walking Dead’s Andrew Lincoln, and The Mandalorian’s Timothy Olyphant would make for great Deathstroke choices.
In addition, the actor has a lot of experience doing action scenes, performing as a stunt performer and choreographer for many different projects. This would be another asset for an actor tackling the role as they could lend that knowledge to the character and ensure that Bane is combat ready. All things considered, while Zaror may be a lesser known actor, he could deliver on the character in meaningful ways.
6 Javier Bardem
Javier Bardem, on the other hand is a much more recognisable face. Yes, the actor is somewhat older than some of the others on this list, but that does not mean he should be written off. In his lengthy career, Bardem has played incredible figures from his performance in No Country for Old Men, to his time as a villain in the Daniel Craig Bond film, Skyfall. And, more recently, Bardem has played a prominent part in the Denis Villeneuve adaptation of Dune.
Bardem is intelligent, he exudes power and authority, and he has a talent for playing characters who are less than squeaky clean. While he may be a gamble due to his age, he continues to be in great physical condition, and he can easily meet the emotional and mental aspects of a character like Bane. In particular if someone like Joe Manganiello were to reprise their role as Deathstroke, and the story followed a pair of seasoned villains.
5 Terry Crews
While the incredible Terry Crews is in fact even older than Javier Bardem, he is an actor who is known for keeping himself in peak physical health. The Expendables star is one of the most physically impressive performers in Hollywood, and he could easily meet the requirements to play a character who is built like a tank, like Bane. And, expanding on that motivation and build, Crews has the range to play the character in a variety of ways.
Related Will the Bane and Deathstroke movie be part of the DCU?
A new bombshell DC report has revealed that a Bane and Deathstroke movie is in development. So far, which universe it will be part of has not been revealed, only that Matthew Orton (Captain America: Brave New World) penned the script. As it stands, the Bane and Deathstroke movie could either be part of James Gunn’s new DC Universe, director Matt Reeves’ The Batman universe, or an Elseworlds project like Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker franchise. As it stands, I believe the film would make the most sense for the DCU, perhaps later being revealed as a Secret Six film in disguise.
From his time on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Crews proved himself to be an incredibly talented comedy actor. But, the character can also deliver emotion, anger, and stand out in a team. If the Bane and Deathstroke film were to go down a more comical route, and see the villains play a comedic duo, Crews could easily slot into the role. And he is a name that would very likely drum up excitement for fans who may be hesitant to take a chance on the film.
4 Florian Munteanu
Keeping with the large and in charge performers for now, Florian Munteanu is another great choice to tackle the role and deliver an incredible physical presence. In Creed II, Munteanu was cast as the rival for young Adonis Creed, and the son of Ivan Drago, the man who killed Donnie’s father. Munteanu is a big man standing at an incredible 6 feet and 4 inches. This size and figure make him a great choice to play Bane.
In addition, Munteanu is one of the youngest contenders on this list. If the film decides to bring these characters back to their youths and explore an earlier version of their villainy, Munteanu could be the ideal casting. However, while he excels in physical roles, he is still a fairly fresh faced actor. Munteanu has appeared in just seven projects since 2016, but he has managed to land major roles. From Creed II, to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, down to Borderlands, his credits are impressive and speak to his talent.
3 Dwayne Johnson
Custom Image by Grant Hermanns
Dwayne Johnson is another actor who is known for his physicality, and who also began his career in wrestling. However, Johnson has recently returned to the ring, which suggests a commitment to keep himself in good shape and maintain his impressive musculature. If this is the case, then Johnson could be a great choice for the role of Bane in a DCU project.
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On the other hand, Johnson did have a brief moment with the DCEU, when he starred as Black Adam in 2022 and tried to single-handedly revive the dying franchise. Unfortunately, the plans fell apart, and the death of the DCEU was announced shortly thereafter. This could have left a bitter taste in Johnson’s mouth, and combined with Johnson’s preference for playing heroes rather than villains, he may choose to steer clear of a role like Bane. But, if he were to take it on, he could do great things with the character.
2 Daniel Moncada
Daniel Moncada may stand at just 5 feet 11 inches tall, but the actor knows how to create an intimidating presence. His most famous role to date has to be playing one half of the Salamanca assassin brothers in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Within the role, Moncada is able to exude a presence while largely remaining completely silent. While Hardy’s Bane was highly articulate, the character in the comics is typically much less prone to speeches.
Moncada could deliver on these aspects of the character, but again, this would rely on the other half of the duo balancing them out. If the movie were to portray Deathstroke as a much more vocal character, or someone who could pick up the slack, Bane could remain a more reserved and broody figure, which would fit well with Moncada’s prior performances. But his height could be an issue when trying to make them into a huge imposing figure.
1 Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson
Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson is perhaps the best match for the physical character of Bane, standing at an incredible 6 feet and 9 inches tall. In addition, the actor is completely stacked, with his broad physique making him one of the biggest and most intimidating actors in Hollywood. He rose to fame due to his portrayal of The Mountain, in Game of Thrones, and since then, he has continued to play gigantic muscle-bound titans in film and TV.
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Björnsson is clearly discerning in the roles that he chooses to take on, having only appeared in 11 different projects, but considering how much of a perfect fit he could be for Bane, it makes sense for this to be the next big challenge for the hulking actor to tackle. And, it would provide a great opportunity for the actor to develop his performance skills in a leading role with more dialogue and emotion than he has previously shown in his other work. All things considered, Björnsson could be the ideal man to play Bane in the upcoming DCU team-up movie.
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Joker: Folie a Deux
Superman (2025)
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
The Batman Part II