However, I recently rewatched Blade Runner 2049, and was wondering how tall that one replicant in the beginning was. Big guy. He seemed incredibly heavy, like a tank. At the same time, ironically had that small, Jewish scholar look going on, that kind that you associate with Itzhak Stern from Schindler's List. He overall struck me as real interesting, and I was intrigued by this seemingly unknown actor who played him. I thought, "I don't know who this character actor is, but I want to see more of him. he would be pretty interesting in a Steven Spielberg drama or something of the sort."

The first time I watched the movie I had a moment, when seeing a room full of naked, hairless models of replicants, where I noticed that one of them looked just like Bautista, and I thought, "Hey, is he in this movie? I wonder when he'll show up!" Then, as far as I could tell, that moment never came, which got me scratching my head a little bit upon further reflection. Upon rewatching it, my friend explained to me that Bautista was the big guy in the beginning, which kind of blew me away.

A couple of years ago, people were saying "He's not really a good actor, but he works well for Drax. If you'll notice, though, James Gunn makes sure that he's always complemented by another actor on-screen to make up for his weaknesses." So I accepted it that Bautista wasn't really an actor so much as a professional wrestler retrofitted for a role that basically called for an over-the-top, hammy pro-wrestler kind of person to play him. I accepted that he was basically an Arnold Schwarzenegger kind of actor.

But, for as brief as his role was, he did a great job, and furthermore, I absolutely didn't recognize him. I suppose that it makes sense why I noticed him in that one scene with the different models of replicants on display, since he had no clothes and he had no hair and it was easy to recognize him because he was basically Drax without the tattoos, but when you show him as an older man with graying hair, and then put those wire-frames spectacles, and he just becomes a completely different person.

What's ironic, actually, is that his height and physique came off more in this role as a wizened, elderly, overalls-wearing, protein-farming hermit than in a superhero movie where he's always shirtless.

I'm impressed man.