Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for 2025’s The Naked Gun.The Naked Gun producer Erica Huggins explains how they coordinated one shocking cameo in the movie. The 2025 action crime comedy starring Liam Neeson as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr. and Pamela Anderson as Beth is a remake of David Zucker’s 1988 classic of the same name.

Highlights include several fun cameos: The Naked Gun features the brief return of Priscilla Presley, who played Jane Spencer in the original series of movies; a stand-in from Dave Bautista; the return of music icon “Weird Al” Yankovic, who appeared in all previous тιтles; and the portraits of the original cast.

In an interview with ScreenRant‘s Liam Crowley, Huggins revealed how they came up with the idea for Bautista’s cameo in The Naked Gun. The producer shared that they wanted “an action star” for the gag to capture the feeling of being weirdly misplaced in this universe, but “an agent” whispered Bautista’s name, and they realized that he was perfect for the job.

Huggins also admitted that they didn’t consider anyone else for the role. Check out her comments below:

EXCLUSIVE: Okay, so we had an idea to do a cameo. We didn’t know exactly how we were going to make it work. [Director] Akiva [Schaffer], [writers] Dan [Gregor] and Doug [Mand] came up with this idea, which I thought was so funny when we heard it pitched out and we wanted an action star that felt like it was completely outside of his realm to be sitting in the middle of this scene.

And Bautista, I think an agent sort of whispered this idea and it was like, “Aha, this is the guy.” So he was the first guy and the one that we really wanted. And the fact that he said yes is always a good thing.

What Dave Bautista’s Cameo Means For The Naked Gun

With a background in wrestling, Bautista has become a prominent figure in Hollywood, having starred in several major action movies, including Guardians of the Galaxy, Dune, and Spectre. His iconic performance as Drax the Destroyer in the MCU also established his reputation as an actor with comedic talent, which made him the perfect choice for The Naked Gun‘s gag.

The Guardians actor appears at The Naked Gun‘s ending to replace Frank during the final confrontation with Cane (Danny Huston). The abrupt cameo sees Bautista picking up where Frank left off mid-monologue with a straight face while Neeson’s Lieutenant takes a bathroom break. Huggins’ comments explain the idea behind the cameo and clarify how Bautista mysteriously ended up in the reboot.

Our Take On Dave Bautista’s Cameo In The Naked Gun

Coincidentally, before making an unexpected appearance in this action comedy, Bautista starred alongside Pamela Anderson in 2024’s The Last Showgirl, playing her former love interest. Meanwhile, in The Naked Gun, Beth is romantically involved with Frank, which makes the shocking cameo even more fun.

Bautista’s cameo in The Naked Gun is one of the most surprising, but it’s also one that’s hard to miss. Unlike other celebrities, Bautista is brought in at the height of the movie, making his brief role very important. His stand-in is random, hilarious, and simply genius because of how weirdly familiar it feels. Another actor wouldn’t have been able to deliver the same effect.