Dave Bautista has been openly campaigning to get cast for a role in the Gears of War movie - but instead made it into the game series itself!

The wrestler-turned-actor announced yesterday that he'll be a playable character in Gears 5. You can grab him for free between September 15th and October 28th. Bautista announced the news on Twitter, saying that he'll be playable on the 15th after the WWE Clash of Champions event. The accompanying teaser shows the actor in full armor, and according to the announcement he recorded more than 700 lines for the game.

Bautista has had his sights set on the role of Marcus Fenix. The Coalition head Rod Fergusson has said he agrees Bautista "would be awesome" for the role, but noted he has no part in casting decisions. Besides that, there's no guarantee a Gears of War movie would feature Marcus Fenix at all, or even happen.

The two games made under The Coalition, Gears of War 4 and the upcoming Gears 5, take place years after the originals. Fenix still features prominently, but he's no longer the main protagonist. In Gears 5, that role will be going to Kait Diaz. The game launches on September 10th, we have a review up for it, and pre-loading is now available.