Batista has not wrestled for WWE in more than seven years, but Dave Bautista has only become a bigger star since leaving professional wrestling behind.
The six-time WWE World Champion successfully transitioned into Hollywood, with major roles in Guardians of the Galaxy, Dune, Blade Runner 2049 and several other films.
Now, Bautista is preparing for another major role, and it might be the closest thing fans get to seeing “The Animal” again.
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What Is Batista Doing Now?
Bautista was officially cast as Kratos in Amazon Prime Video’s upcoming God of War television series in August. He replaced Ryan Hurst, who suffered a torn bicep during production.
The series already has a two-season order, with both seasons planned to film back-to-back. Bautista will star as Kratos alongside Callum Vinson as his son, Atreus.
The 57-year-old has even started adding muscle back to his frame for the role. In September, Bautista shared a training update after returning to weightlifting.
“3rd week in to weight training again. 2 more months to get to where I need to be,” Bautista wrote on Instagram.
He also has several other projects in the works, including Road House 2 and Highlander.
Is Batista in the WWE Hall of Fame?
Despite occasionally being referred to as a WWE Hall of Famer, Batista has not officially been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
WWE announced Batista as a member of its 2020 Hall of Fame class in December 2019. The ceremony was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, and Batista did not participate when WWE eventually honored the 2020 class alongside the 2021 class.
Batista explained at the time that previous obligations prevented him from attending and said WWE had agreed, at his request, to induct him at a future ceremony.
It still hasn’t happened.
Bautista later revealed that another opportunity arose for him to be inducted in Los Angeles, but he was filming in South Africa and could not make the logistics work.
“Eventually, I will. I want to,” Bautista told Chris Van Vliet when discussing the Hall of Fame. He added that he remains open to an induction “one day.”
Batista was not included in WWE’s 2026 Hall of Fame class, meaning his induction remains unfinished business.
When Was Batista’s Last WWE Match?
Batista wrestled his final match against Triple H at WrestleMania 35 on April 7, 2019.
The No Holds Barred match brought Batista’s career full circle. Triple H helped launch him into superstardom as part of Evolution, and Batista defeated him at WrestleMania 21 in 2005 to win his first World Heavyweight Championship.
Fourteen years later, Triple H defeated Batista in his final match. Batista announced his retirement the following day.
There doesn’t appear to be any chance of another match.
During a 2026 interview, Bautista emphatically rejected the idea of ever wrestling again. He described his ending with Triple H as a “storybook ending” and said he would rather go broke than tarnish it by returning to the ring.
“I will never wrestle again,” Bautista said.
That makes the Hall of Fame the most obvious remaining chapter in Batista’s WWE career. He isn’t the only major name from his era still waiting for an induction, with John Cena and Brock Lesnar also outside the Hall of Fame.
For my money, I’d like to see WWE induct Cena and Batista in the same class. Batista could open the ceremony before Cena closes it, giving two of the defining stars of their generation their flowers on the same night.
