Dave Bautista's 10 Best Action Movies, Ranked

Over the years, former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Dave Bautista has made an even bigger name for himself as an action movie star. Although he had a slow start in Hollywood, “appearing in a couple of pride-swallowing direct-to-DVD movies” (Via British GQ), he is currently one of the best wrestlers-turned-actors in Hollywood. While other WWE wrestlers have made the jump to acting, Bautista is arguably the most naturally talented and nuanced as a true actor.

Dave Bautista’s action movies bring a charming balance of fight sequences choreographed to highlight his physical prowess and character work that highlights his acting skills, giving him a compelling screen presence. Dave Bautista’s roster of movies now boasts works with critically acclaimed directors like Denis Villeneuve and James Gunn, with his most popular character, the MCU’s Drax, coming to life during work with the latter.

10 Spectre (2015)

Bautista Plays Mr. Hinx

The fourth installment in Daniel Craig’s series of films as James Bond, Spectre has a relatively lower IMDb rating than most of Craig’s other James Bond films, once prompting director Sam Mendes to theorize why Spectre fell short of Skyfall. Despite that, Spectre remains memorable as an action movie, particularly so for Dave Bautista. Exhibiting some of the finest fight choreography in James Bond films, the scene where Mr. Hinx and Bond brawl on the train isn’t easily forgotten.

Bautista had already earned admiration as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy about a year before Spectre‘s release, but an appearance in a James Bond film cemented his presence as a bonafide action star to look out for in the future. Despite having a minor role, Bautista made his presence felt, especially with his impressive physicality in the action sequences.

9 Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (2018)

Bautista plays Owen Davidson

A legacy spin-off based on the characters of Donnie Yen’s Ip Man trilogy which got a final installment after the release of Master Z, Master Z: Ip Man Legacy received an underwhelming rating on IMDb in comparison to the canon Ip Man films. For Bautista, it marked a return to the martial arts genre, where he got one of his smaller breaks in The Man with the Iron Fists.

While it is a lesser-known film, Master Z: Ip Man Legacy stands out uniquely among Bautista’s other action movies because it is his only major role in a traditional Asian martial arts film. His background as a martial artist helps Bautista shine in his role. With minimal plot, Master Z: Ip Man Legacy jumps from action scene to action scene, and Bautista holds his own in a film where most of the action choreography is styled on Kung Fu, which isn’t traditionally his forte.

8 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Bautista reprises his role as Drax the Destroyer

The second installment in James Gunn’s MCU trilogy based on the band of ragtag heroes, Guardian of the Galaxy Vol. 2 focuses on the story of group leader Peter Quill and his strained relationship with his father Ego. While his character doesn’t have a dedicated subplot in the film, Bautista still makes his presence felt as the likable but often socially inept Drax.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is perhaps the funniest installment in the trilogy, and Drax plays a big part in making that the case. Bautista’s excitable persona as Drax makes it almost seem logical when he claims the solution to fighting a beast with impenetrable skin is to attempt to penetrate the skin from inside the beast. Largely a comic relief character who gets his epic moments of action, Drax is most memorable when delivering deadpan jokes that fail to land while slashing enemies.

7 Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Bautista first appears as Drax the Destroyer

Bautista’s most iconic role, which took him from action man to movie star overnight, first appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy. The ex-wrestler seems to be in his natural element as Drax the Destroyer, an unemotional and intimidating fighter no one can survive against. However, the role simultaneously pushed Bautista’s boundaries, requiring him to tap into his comedic talents. Drax the Destroyer has some iconic quotes in the trilogy, which are framed as being unintentionally funny; it’s only Bautista’s skill at delivery that spins them comedic.

Drax’s introduction in Guardians of the Galaxy is originally antagonistic. Bautista shines through as a largely non-verbal character whose physicality is a statement of itself, lurking in the shadows, waiting for the opportunity to strike a killing blow. But by the end of the film, Drax has significantly softened up and even makes a joke at the end. The evolution of the character is believable because of Bautista’s range as a performer.

6 Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Bautista reprises his role as Drax

One of the biggest phenomenons ever, Avengers: Endgame smashed box office records on its way to becoming the most popular comic book movie of all time. Despite that, one of the harsh realities to accept about Avengers: Endgame is that it is far from perfect. While the original six Avengers have memorable moments in the final Avengers film of phase 4, not all the MCU heroes have their moments to shine.

”
The movies of the MCU to that point had been building to Endgame’s epic conclusion, and the film’s unforgettable and irreversible developments in the franchise’s story made it perhaps the most impactful comic book movie of all time.
” –
Niall Gray
–
10 Major Realizations I Had Rewatching Avengers: Endgame

Bautista is present in Avengers: Endgame as Drax, but he has minimal screen time. That is an understandable by-product of having nearly twenty-five characters participate in a climactic fight of around thirty minutes, and so it still counts as a major success for Bautista when one considers the impact of Avengers: Endgame on the world, and especially the cinematic landscape. It is safe to say that the MCU hasn’t been the same since Endgame‘s release.

5 Dune (2021)

Bautista first appears as Glossu Rabban

The first installment in what could become a large scale sci-fi epic franchise by Denis Villeneuve, Dune made the critically acclaimed director a household name. Adapting Frank Herbert’s novel on a grand scale with elaborate set pieces and immersive visual effects, Villeneuve mostly focused on setting up the world in Dune with a pacing issue the sequel doesn’t fix. While many characters are underdeveloped and the exposition is overwhelming, Villeneuve does a good job of introducing the characters, which includes Bautista’s Count Glossu Rabban.

Dune is special for Bautista because, as he has fondly recalled, there was a moment in production when he attempted an emotionally-driven performance and Villeneuve approved of it, encouraging the actor to expand his boundaries and be confident in his skill. His physical prowess is still an important factor in breathing life into the short-tempered Count of intimidating stature, but equally important is Bautista’s ability to channel rage and add to the fearfulness of Rabban.

4 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

Bautista reprises his role as Drax

The final installment in James Gunn’s MCU trilogy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a tearful love letter of a farewell to the MCU’s most lovable group of heroes from Gunn. Premised on Rocket’s backstory and the return of a character from his past, the film focuses on the bond of friendship that ties the heroes together. It is a masterpiece in pacing and balance, as every character is given their moment to shine. Drax is at his peak of emotional maturity, conveyed both by dialogue and Bautista’s nuanced performance.

Bautista brings his usual deadpan humor as Drax, but his acting also involves tapping into an emotional side, highlighting how far Drax has come from being an uncaring killing machine to growing into his role as a caring guardian of the galaxy. His choice to stay in Knowhere and practically parent the rescued children shows how he has found a purpose for himself. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 gives a surprise ending like that to every character, which is Gunn’s way of signing off.

3 Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Bautista reprises his role as Drax

The highest-rated Avengers film on Letterboxd, and the highest-rated on IMDb, tied with Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Infinity War has the greatest ending and is the best of all the MCU films to date. Bringing together all the characters from the individual and group franchises set up since 2008’s Iron Man, it is the ultimate showdown of heroism united on all fronts against a world-ending threat. And, of course, in true Guardians of the Galaxy fashion, Bautista’s Drax and his other teammates are introduced when Thor crashes into their ship while they’re singing “Rubberband Man”.

Two of the most iconic moments of Bautista’s career as a movie star can be found in Avengers: Infinity War. The first of them is when he claims he has learned to stand still and move so slowly that he becomes invisible to everyone around him. There is no basis to his claim, but his sincere belief further cements Drax’s presence as a comedic gift. Bautista’s comic timing shines through even more in the second instance, when he seriously shouts “Why is Gamora?” after the characters have been questioning each other about who and where she is.

2 Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Bautista plays Sapper Morton

Denis Villeneuve went from making 2016’s Arrival, where he introduces sci-fi elements on Earth, to designing a fictional world and bringing his own vision and vibe to the Blade Runner universe with a legacy sequel 35 years after the release of the original film by Ridley Scott. It focuses on the story of a replicant K, played by Ryan Gosling, who attempts to find out his origin. One of the earliest scenes shows him retiring Dave Bautista’s character Sapper Morton.

Sapper is a great character with next to no screen time. Bautista’s performance however stands out in the 5-odd minutes that he appears for. Despite having enough elements of action to be classified as a sci-fi action thriller, Blade Runner 2049 gives Bautista a role that relies on his emotionality rather than his physicality as an actor. His character is an exhausted veteran whose state of affairs reflects on the strained relationship between humans and replicants and thematically sets up K’s journey.

1 Dune: Part Two (2024)

Bautista’s final appearance as Beast Rabban

Picking up from the scene where Dune ended, Dune: Part Two is more focused on character journeys and plot points, thus making it more immersive than the previous installment. The themes become more apparent as the characters are fleshed out better, and Villeneuve’s success as a director can be seen in the way it became a phenomenon, even prompting the Ryan Golsing starter Fall Guy to parody Dune. Bautista appears as the ruthless Rabban again, but this is the last time he does so, as his character meets a much-deserved brutal ending.

Perhaps his greatest achievement as an action movie star, Bautista makes a mark as both an action man and a nuanced actor, leaning into the unhinged nature of Rabban’s persona to fuel the intense action scenes and fight sequences in Dune: Part Two. He holds his own in a film with veterans like Javier Bardem and Stellan Skarsgärd. It will be interesting to see where Bautista takes his career and if we will get to see filmmaker Dave Bautista as he’s expressed interest in directing films himself.