Home Entertainment Dave Bautista to star in live-action Eternal Warrior film for Valiant

Dave Bautista to star in live-action Eternal Warrior film for Valiant

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Over the last few years, Darryn and I have been shouting from the rooftops all about Valiant Comics. Ever since their 2012 relaunch, the publisher has consistently been producing better superhero comics than most of what the Big Two put out on a monthly basis. Now from what I can gather, not many of you listened to us. Shame on you. Shame! (ding-dong) Shame! (ding-dong) Shame! (ding-dong)

Luckily for our over-inflated opinions about our influence, Hollywood has listened as Sony are currently developing a series of films based on Valiant’s comic book line. We know that the two films kicking off this new superhero cinematic universe will be Bloodshot (with Jared Leto reportedly sought to star) and Harbinger, which will eventually lead to a crossover between the two. Besides for some other unrelated web-series tackling Ninjak and many of Valiant’s other characters and Avengers: Infinity War’s Russo Bros tackling Quantum and Woody for TV, we haven’t really heard any other plans for future feature films though.

However, a few days ago, that changed – accidentally – when ex-WWE wrestler and Guardians of the Galaxy star Dave Bautista responded to a question from a fan on Twitter and seemingly revealed that he will be starring in a feature film adaptation of Valiant’s Eternal Warrior.

Instead of trying to deny anything, Dinesh Shamdasani, CEO of Valiant Entertainment – the studio formed to oversee Valiant’s cinematic universe – confirmed this in a nice tongue-in-cheek manner.

For the uninitiated, Eternal Warrior was first created back in 1992, but just like most of Valiant’s properties it was rebooted, so to speak, with their 2012 relaunch. Born Gilad Anni-Padda in 3000 BC, he is the youngest of three brothers who were accidentally granted immortality while on an adventure in the mystical land of Faraway. His siblings became known as Ivar the Timewalker and Aram the Other aka Armstrong, and all three brothers possess enhanced strength and endurance, and the ability to rapidly heal from most wounds.

While Ivar spent the ensuing millennia lost in the timestream due to his chronal adventures, and Armstrong mostly just got drunk and partied, Gilad became the greatest fighter in history, mastering every known form of combat and strategy known to man. He also became the chosen “Fist and the Steel” of the Geomancers, a group pledged to safeguard the Earth for all eternity.

Due to this eternal quest, Gilad has actually interacted with a large portion of the Valiant universe’s most prominent characters in the past as well as in the future. He served as a tutor to Visigoth heir Aric of Dacia in 5AD, thousands of years before Aric would become X-O Manowar (alien kidnapping and time dilation were involved) and he has been shown to be alive and still doing his duty as the Eternal Emperor in 4001AD.

When it comes to casting Eternal Warrior, I have to say that Bautista would not be an immediate choice. Bautista’s biggest drawcard is his raw physicality, whereas Gilad is more of a sombre, contemplative warrior who uses more tactics and strategy than just plain ol’ cracking of skulls to get things done. Not that he’s averse to burying a hatchet in a skull or two though. It will be interesting to see Bautista’s take on things. At least we know that thanks to playing Drax for Marvel, he definitely knows his way around sharp pointy objects.

Last Updated: August 3, 2017

22 Comments

  1. Dave Bautista is starting to impressive the hell out of me with his list of movie credentials. Doubt he’ll ever be as successful as Mr Johnson, but he’s still a hell of ways ahead of other former pro-wrestlers.

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      August 3, 2017 at 15:54

      Then do not watch the new Kickboxer movie. It’s… bad. Oh so very, very bad.

      Reply

      • RinceThis

        August 3, 2017 at 15:55

        Oh dear gods man. It is so so so so bad. I mean, worse than spending an evening with OvG watching Lord Of the Rings trilogy bad.

        Reply

        • Alien Emperor Trevor

          August 3, 2017 at 15:57

          I quit after 15 minutes. I just couldn’t.

          Reply

          • RinceThis

            August 3, 2017 at 15:58

            I am not kidding, I managed to get 5 minutes to the end. The end fight scene is SO FUCKING Bad I actually couldn’t do it, I had to turn it off.

        • Original Heretic

          August 3, 2017 at 15:57

          Hey now… What’s so bad about watching the LOTR trilogy?!!? Cause if you got issues with that, then and you and me are gonna have words….and other bad things might happen.

          Reply

          • RinceThis

            August 3, 2017 at 15:59

            Pffft. No one is scared of you! HA! Watching any movie with OvG is a nightmare because he has ‘opinions’ on what is happening hahah!

          • Original Heretic

            August 3, 2017 at 16:00

            Oh crap, one of those! Okay, now I understand better. It wasn’t the movies, it was the company!
            Nobody afraid? Good, that’s the way I like it. It’s always better to be underestimated.

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            August 3, 2017 at 16:01

            The best is his opinions on the movie are expressed after he’s spent the last 30 minutes talking about something else and hasn’t been watching the movie.

          • RinceThis

            August 3, 2017 at 16:02

            BWAHAHAHAH! Yes! His comments on the plot are always fantastic. Like ‘this is unrealistic, why is Superman powerless when that green stone is near him. It’s unrealistic’ teheheh

      • Original Heretic

        August 3, 2017 at 15:58

        I didn’t even KNOW there was a new Kickboxer movie. But now that I do, I’ll avoid it.

        I was referring more to his stints in Guardians, and now Blade Runner, now this Valiant thing, etc.

        Reply

        • Alien Emperor Trevor

          August 3, 2017 at 15:59

          He took the role of Tong Po. Avoid it like the mf plague.

          Reply

          • Original Heretic

            August 3, 2017 at 16:01

            I can’t even picture that. The original Tong Po was such a mean looking bastard!

          • RinceThis

            August 3, 2017 at 16:03

            Batista IS mean looking when he wants to be.

          • Original Heretic

            August 3, 2017 at 16:04

            Oh for sure, I’m not disputing that. But that original Tong Po looked like he’d eat your children after he beat your granny up.
            Dave looks like he’d just rip your limbs off and use them offensively against you.

          • RinceThis

            August 3, 2017 at 16:05

            If only he did that in the last Kickboxer. I cannot stress enough how bad it is. Possibly one of the worst movies I almost finished watching.

          • Kervyn Cloete

            August 3, 2017 at 16:11

            To be fair, Bautista as Tong Po is probably the best thing about that movie. I still can’t believe that they have so much real life martial arts talent in there, and still every single action scene bores me to tears.

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            August 3, 2017 at 17:37

            I can’t believe it’s not actually dubbed and that really is the actors talking. 😉

  2. HairyEwok

    August 3, 2017 at 15:30

    Did… did you just GoT shamed me.

    Reply

  3. Alien Emperor Trevor

    August 3, 2017 at 15:52

    I don’t listen to you two ding-dongs!

    Reply

  4. RinceThis

    August 3, 2017 at 15:55

    Dave is da man! Leave him be!

    Reply

  5. Craig "CrAiGiSh" Dodd

    August 3, 2017 at 16:20

    Glad he got his big break in Guardians.

    Reply

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