After years and years of hype, Black Adam promised much and failed to deliver on most. Despite the mind-blowing post-credits scene that teased a showdown between Teth-Adam and Superman, there will be no face-off for Dwayne Johnson and Henry Cavill in the future of the DCU, which is not just a bummer for fans but likely for The Rock himself, too. Nobody tell him, then, that his fellow WWE star and acting rival Dave Bautista has already achieved his dream of meleeing with the Man of Steel on-screen.

Bautista might have lofty thespian aspirations these days, what with declaring that he doesn’t want to be the “next Rock” as he’d rather be a “respected” and “good” actor, but once upon a time he was more than happy to take any gig that came his way. Hence his appearance as the villain in The Scorpion King III (a sequel to a franchise Johnson himself had long since vacated). Likewise, in 2006 Bautista turned up in an episode of The CW’s Smallville, which might be of interest to fans.

Part of the DC prequel’s sixth season, the episode titled “Static” features Tom Welling’s Clark Kent encounter the latest Kryptonian criminal to escape from the Phantom Zone — a brutal alien who feeds on bone marrow called Aldar, who just happened to be played by the future Drax the Destroyer himself. On top of predating his more famous foray into the Marvel universe by eight years, Bautista’s Smallville guest spot is a lot more notable in hindsight.

While not as flashy a role as The Rock’s in Black Adam, Bautista can now boast that he has succeeded where Johnson, unfortunately, failed as he actually got the chance to beat up Superman (albeit an adolescent, unsuited version). In fact, he made the hero himself feel pretty puny. In a recent appearance on the Talk Ville podcast, Tom Welling recalled an example of Bautista’s physical prowess: “He was the only person in my life who’s ever picked me up over his head and held me,” the 6’2″ Welling said.

Does anyone else now want to see Dwayne Johnson do the same with Henry Cavill?

Everyone loves a good celebrity beef.

Stars are there to entertain us, after all, and it seems this task extends far off-screen. The public eats up celebrity feuds like candy, reveling in the pure and simple drama of a high-profile quarrel.

The latest celebrity beef to catch the internet’s attention is still going strong, as conversations continue to swirl about former wrestlers-turned-actors Dave Bautista and Dwayne Johnson. The pair of beefy actors share plenty in common, but Johnson’s recent string of misfortune—largely spurred by the failure of Black Adam to meet expectations—is upping the ante. Bautista’s assertion that he “never wanted to be the next Rock,” instead aiming to simply “be a good f***ing actor” piqued audience attention, as they braced themselves for a squabble that seems a long time coming.

Johnson has yet to truly address Bautista’s comments, but that isn’t stopping the internet from reveling in a mounting—but largely imaginary—beef between the two stars. Bautista doesn’t boast a resume nearly so impressive as Johnson’s, but his success in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well as recent releases like Glass Onion, are boosting the actor’s brand immensely.

As it stands, it seems that Bautista’s star is rising just as Johnson’s begins to fall. This, paired with Bautista’s comments and Johnson’s misfortune, is prompting drama hounds to examine every aspect of the pair’s relationship. We’ve already looked into who had more wins in the ring and who might win in a real-life fight between the two, but now we’re examining something far more mundane: the actor’s heights.

Is Dwayne Johnson taller than Dave Bautista?

Kevin Mazur / Getty Images

Johnson and Bautista’s heights are well recorded, thanks to their time in the ring, but the web tends to exaggerate these things. Conflicting reports claim Johnson is anywhere between 6’3 and 6’6, but the wrestler turned actor was kind enough to clarify his height back in 2020. In a post to his Instagram page, Johnson explained that he stands at a comfortable—but still impressive—6 foot 4 inches.

Bautista, meanwhile, stands just a touch taller, at 6 foot 6 inches. The Guardians of the Galaxy actor’s height is well documented, thanks to his days in the WWE, but these claims are often exaggerated. Bautista himself seems to disagree with assessments that he stands a full two inches taller than Johnson, at least according to an old, 2012 interview with the Glass Onion actor. He confessed, in the interview, that he actually stands at right around the same height as the Rock. He told interviewer Percy Crawford that he is actually 6’4.

This means, despite what the public might think, Johnson and Bautista are, in fact, the exact same height.

Source: wegotthiscovered