Dave Bautista is Sith Lord Darth Malgus in new Star Wars: The Old Republic fan art. The Star Wars video game character, born as Force-sensitive human Veradun, was raised by his adoptive father in the capital of the reconstituted Sith Empire, the planet Dromund Kaas. As a child, he killed a Twi'lek servant and was sent by his proud father to the Sith Academy. His master was intimidating pureblooded Sith Darth Vindican. Along with his master, Darth Malgus served in the Battle of Korriban in a quest to recapture the Sith holy world. In the battle, his master was nearly bested by the opposing Jedi. Upon realizing that he was not killed but allowed the survivors to escape, Malgus murdered his master and experienced a Force vision soon after of the Republic burning, which set him on the path of a new mission. The apprentice was eventually relegated to Sith Lord and participated in several more wars, battles and conquests in his quest to take down the Republic. Similarly to Anakin Skywalker's storyline, Darth Malgus eventually became disillusioned with the Empire due to the Dark Council's flaws.
Star Wars films and series don't tend to focus on the Sith as the main "protagonist," meaning that there are plenty of rich texts to mine for future projects. If Lucasfilm were to adapt Darth Malgus in a new medium, the actor that plays the part would have to be a truly brutal force, projecting Darth Malgus's terrifying power and calculating nature. Previously, fans have imagined Josh Brolin, Tom Hardy, and others as the Sith Lord.
Shared by artist Jason Benullo via Instagram, fan art of the intimidating Sith Lord shows Dave Bautista in the role of Darth Malgus. See the post below:
Bautista is already a fan-favorite in the MCU as alien warrior Drax, often serving as comic relief. Portraying Darth Malgus would offer the wrestler turned actor a chance to move out of the comfort zone of comic relief and flex his dramatic chops. He wouldn't be the first actor to walk between the franchises - actors including Oscar Isaac, Natalie Portman, Jon Favreau, Samuel L. Jackson, Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong'o have appeared in both worlds. The phenomenon may become increasingly common since the Marvel and Star Wars franchises are owned by Disney, which is exciting news for fans of both properties.
The hype for a potential live-action rendition of Star Wars: The Old Republic is high, but some have expressed concerns about the future of the project since updates have been slight. Additionally, despite the many Star Wars Disney+ series that have been announced, some of the previously announced projects slated to start production after the conclusion of the divisive Skywalker saga were canceled. Darth Malgus is considered one of the most powerful Sith Lords in Star Wars history and would be a fascinating character to see on-screen in live-action, so long as the role is taken on by the right person.
Source: Jason Benullo via Instagram