He's the best Batman in the eyes of many fans, and though he's not likely to return for the role, English actor Christian Bale has made clear he would indeed play Bruce Wayne once more, provided the right person asked him, with that being none other than The Dark Knight trilogy director Christopher Nolan.
While Bale is currently promoting Thor: Love and Thunder, where he stars as the film’s villain, Gorr The Butcher, the actor first made his name in comic movies before the MCU even existed as The Dark Knight Trilogy's Batman, a part that won him plenty of praise. As part of his press tour, Bale recently confessed that he has yet to see Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson's take on the character in The Batman, explaining that he actually doesn’t watch that many movies because “I like to really savor films.”
That was just one of many topics on the table as Bale said he’s never been contacted to reprise his Batman role. In fact, Bale said he finds himself constantly surprised whenever he’s casually asked about it. Nevertheless, he also mentioned he has a long-standing pact with Nolan to “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.” However, Bale concedes that if the director were ever to change his mind to tell another Batman story with him, he’d absolutely jump on board.
Suffice to say, Bale's words must be taken with a grain of salt since not only has Warner Bros. moved on to focus on its tumbling DCEU, but it’s also hard to imagine Nolan working with the studio again after both parties had a bit of a falling out in 2021. Nolan lashed against Warner Bros. due to the studio’s decision to release its 2021 movie lineup simultaneously on streaming and in theaters. Nolan felt Warner Bros.' decision was made even more disrespectful by not consulting with filmmakers, actors, and crew members first.
Hence, if Nolan was capable of severing his 19-year-old relationship with the studio that saw him make some of his greatest works, such as Inception, Dunkirk, and the aforementioned Batman trilogy, it’s almost safe to rule out a return to The Dark Knight universe. That should fizzle out any speculation regarding whether Bale would be up to putting on the Batsuit again, as it’s clear it’s a no-go from him unless Nolan is involved.
Not that Warner Bros. is too worried, as The Batman managed to rescue the franchise from the chaotic DCEU era, a franchise that appears to be getting shakier as its new anchor superhero, Ezra Miller's The Flash, has tarnished the brand's name due to his growing share of legal troubles.
The Dark Knight trilogy is available on HBO Max.
Source: Screen Rant