Well before his role as Gorr the God Butcher in the new “Thor: Love & Thunder,” Christian Bale was no stranger to superhero film franchises. He, of course, played Batman in three Christopher Nolan-directed ‘Dark Knight’ films, which are often considered some of the best superhero films ever. Now, with multiversal craziness in superhero films and studios desperate to make billion-dollar films, it seems like Warner Bros. Discovery would be interested in getting Bale to suit up as the Caped Crusader again, right? Well, according to Bale, it’s not going to be easy.
Speaking to ScreenRant, Christian Bale was asked if he’s ever been offered a chance to suit up as Batman again. Surprisingly, it seems as if the studio hasn’t ever brought it up with the acclaimed actor. And even if they did, Bale has one major requirement before he ever dons the cowl and cape again.
“No. No one’s ever mentioned it to me. No one’s brought it up,” said Bale. “Occasionally people say to me, ‘Oh, I hear you were approached and offered all this.’ And I’m like, ‘That’s news to me. No one’s ever said that.’”
He added, “I had a pact with Chris Nolan. We said, ‘Hey, look. Let’s make three films, if we’re lucky enough to get to do that. And then let’s walk away. Let’s not linger too long.’ In my mind, it would be something if Chris Nolan ever said to himself, ‘You know what, I’ve got another story to tell.’ And if he wished to tell that story with me, I’d be in.”
With WB bringing back Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton to play different versions of Batman in the upcoming “Flash” film, some fans were hoping that the studio had other tricks up its sleeve. Namely, maybe we’d see Bale show up as a third Batman in the feature. Well, unless Christopher Nolan is secretly directing “The Flash” (he isn’t, as Andy Muschietti is the director), then it would appear that a Bale cameo is likely not going to happen.
Of course, this leads to the question—would Christopher Nolan ever come back for a fourth ‘Batman’ feature? Judging by the comments made by Nolan, the smart money is on the fact that the filmmaker has moved on from superhero storytelling (and more specifically, working with Warner Bros. doesn’t appear to be in the cards anymore) and another ‘Batman’ movie is far-fetched.
But none of this takes away from the fact that Bale’s three ‘Batman’ features are still great and can be enjoyed by fans whenever they want. And if you want to see the actor in a new superhero role, check out “Thor: Love & Thunder” on July 8.