Netflix’s Most Obvious Gears Of War Movie Casting Just Became More Likely (Thanks To Zack Snyder)

The most obvious Gears of War casting in the world could now be possible if Zack Snyder’s directing wish comes true. Gears of War – alongside titles like Uncharted and Resident Evil 4 – came to define the third-person, over-the-shoulder shooter games that emerged during the 2000s. The first game won particular acclaim for its likable cast of characters, intense combat and striking visuals, and the Gears of War games detail the bloody conflict between mankind and a race of subterranean creatures called the Locust. The series began in 2006 and while the critical reception to its various sequels has gone up and down, the franchise has remained a consistent bestseller.

This makes the fact Gears of War has yet to receive a live-action adaptation all the stranger. This isn’t for lack of trying, with filmmakers such as Len Wiseman (Live Free or Die Hard) attempting to mount adaptations all the way back to 2007. Given how much fertile material is contained within the game series, it feels like a no-brainer to adapt, but there’s finally movement with the movie. In November 2022, it was announced Netflix had signed on to collaborate with Gears of War developers The Coalition to make a film and an animated series based on the franchise. However, no filmmakers are currently confirmed as attached.

Related: Zack Snyder Reveals The Video Game Movie He Wants To Make (But Creator Has One Condition)

Zack Snyder Directing Gears Of War Would Make Dave Bautista’s Casting Possible

While being interviewed by IGN about his upcoming sci-fi epic Rebel Moon, Snyder and his wife and co-producer Deborah Snyder were asked if there were any video game properties they thought would make for a great movie. Snyder’s first answer was Gears of War, which is a project that has apparently come up “in our circle” previously. Of course, there’s nothing to suggest Snyder is actually attached to Netflix’s Gears of War movie, but if the streamer wanted a filmmaker with experience handling dark sci-fi and action fare with a large cast of characters, he’s an obvious candidate.

Snyder could also make Dave Bautista’s Gears of War casting dreams a reality. For many years, Bautista has been lobbying to play the part of series hero Marcus Fenix, telling GameSpot in 2018 that it was a “dream role” and he had been trying to convince Universal – who were attached to the film at the time – to hire him. He even claims that when the studio brought him in to discuss a potential role in the Fast & Furious movies, he used that meeting to talk about Gears of War instead.

With the release of Gears 5 in 2019, Bautista was available to play as a multiplayer character, before being added to the single-player campaign as a new skin for Marcus. With the announcement of the Netflix movie deal, Bautista reaffirmed his passion for the role, though according to a chat with Variety in February 2023, the streamer had yet to reach out to him about it. In short, Dave Bautista REALLY wants to play Marcus, and if Snyder became attached to Gears of War as either director or producer, it feels almost inevitable he would finally land the part.

Zack Snyder Directing Gears Of War? Why It Could Happen

Snyder and Bautista previously worked together on the former’s zombie action movie Army of the Dead, which was a big streaming success for Netflix in 2021. All signs point to Rebel Moon becoming a new franchise too, and having a director of Snyder’s stature in their stable only helps boost Netflix’s credibility. All of this is to say that if the filmmaker is intrigued by the notion of turning Gears of War into a film franchise, that’s a conversion they should already be having.

Outside of that November 2022 announcement, there hasn’t been little news regarding the Gears of War adaptation. Dune screenwriter Jon Spaihts boarded the project in March 2023, so Netflix is likely taking the time to develop a solid script before reaching out to potential directors and cast. Snyder publicly stating his interest in working on a Gears film will likely result in Netflix at least discussing it with him, but whether anything happens from that is another question.

Dave Bautista Already Has The Most Important Gears Of War Approval

Shortly after Snyder’s IGN chat, Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski took to Twitter to state he approved of him as director, but only if Dave Bautista played Marcus too. He made similar comments about the actor being his first choice for the part after Bautista appeared in a live-action commercial for Gears 5 too. While there are undoubtedly other actors who could do a great job bringing Marcus to life, the fact that Bautista is a near doppelganger for the character makes his potential casting all the more exciting.

Time will tell if Netflix’s Gears of War even comes to pass, as other studios have tried and failed to mount it in the past. Snyder signing on as a director is a nice thought, but his current focus appears to be turning Rebel Moon into a big series of its own, so the timing may not work out. Regardless, if the film is finally confirmed and Bautusa isn’t playing Marcus Fenix, there are going to be a lot of disappointed fans out there.

Source: IGN, GameSpot, Variety, Cliff Bleszinski/Twitter