Action Star, 57, Debuts Jaw-Dropping Body Transformation
The actor, who says he spent years “trimming down,” debuted his newly bulked-up figure.
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Actor Dave Bautista is regaining his ultra-muscular physique after losing 75 pounds in the last three years.
On September 3, the 57-year-old Marvel star showed off his progress at the gym as he prepares to play Kratos in Prime Video’s upcoming live-action adaptation of the God of War video game franchise.
In an Instagram post, Bautista flexed his arms and chest before letting out a roar.
Dave Bautista attends the screening of "The Killer's Game" in Los Angeles on September 9, 2024. The actor, who says he has spent three years "trimming down," is working hard to regain muscle.
Michael Tullberg/WireImage
“3rd week into weight training again,” he captioned the post. “2 more months to get to where I need to be. Like ridin’ a bike!”
The actor is building muscle and weight training for his new role as Kratos, a Spartan warrior, in 'God of War'
Instagram/@davebautista
Bautista’s latest transformation comes as he prepares to play the imposing fictional Spartan warrior, a role that requires him to build some muscle and trim down.
The actor first became known as Batista during his WWE career, where he developed his massive “Animal” persona and became a six-time World Heavyweight Champion.
Bautista is a former professional wrestler who retired in 2010 to pursue acting full-time. Here, he appears at WWE WrestleMania 21, "WrestleMania Goes Hollywood," at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in 2005.
J. Shearer/WireImage for BWR Public Relatio
After retiring from the WWE in 2010, he transitioned into acting full-time and began playing Drax the Destroyer in Marvel’s highly successful Guardians of the Galaxy movies starting in 2014.
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He returned to wrestling for a final match at WrestleMania 35 in 2019, but once again stepped back from the ring afterward.
Bautista's most notable role to date is Drax the Destroyer in Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" series, where he appeared alongside Zoe Saldaña as Gamora, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Chris Pratt as Peter Quill, and Vin Diesel as Groot.
AP Photo/Disney/Marvel
Bautista was cast as Kratos in late August after Ryan Hurst, who had originally been playing the character, suffered a torn bicep while performing a stunt on set.
The injury required surgery and forced Hurst to leave the production. Scenes Hurst had already filmed will be reshot with Bautista, Variety reported.
The series, developed by Ronald D. Moore, will follow Kratos and his son Atreus as they travel to spread the ashes of Kratos’ late wife and Atreus’ mother, Faye. The story is primarily based on the two latest God of War games, which shifted the franchise from Greek mythology to Norse mythology.
Bautista’s current bulk-up reverses a transformation he underwent these past few years.
In an interview with Chris Van Vliet, the actor said he had dropped to about 240 pounds after reaching 315 pounds for his role in M. Night Shyamalan’s 2023 film Knock at the Cabin.
“I started trimming down because I just got fat,” he said. “I got really big for a role, and it was uncomfortably big.”
Bautista said it took him a while to lose weight after filming the movie, but he felt better once he lost weight. He told Van Vliet that he limited his calorie intake to 2,500 a day.
“And then I noticed, the more I trimmed down, the better I felt,” he explained. “I also noticed the more I trimmed down, the better I looked on camera, the better I looked next to other actors.”
Dave Bautista poses during the Oscars arrivals at the 97th Academy Awards in Los Angeles in 2025.
Mario Anzuoni/REUTERS
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