Christian Bale is done with Batman, so the question now is, “who will next don the cape and cowl?”
For a large segment of the population, Christian Bale is Batman. Thanks to Christopher Nolan’s excellent film trilogy, Bale has become indelibly linked with the character in many minds, and at this point the only people who picture another actor on hearing the word “Batman” are sixty-five-year-olds still harboring a crush on Adam West, and insufferable children of the 1980s who refuse to accept anyone but Kevin Conroy as the Dark Knight.
While I certainly fall into that latter camp, Bale was an awesome Batman, and it’s sad to hear that he’s finished with the role. Entertainment Weekly recently asked Bale about the possibility that he might play Batman in Warner Bros.’ forever-in-development Justice League film adaptation, but the actor quickly shot down the possibility.
“We were incredibly fortunate to get to make three [Batman films]. That’s enough. Let’s not get greedy,” Bale says. “[Christopher Nolan] always said he wanted to make it one film at a time, and we ended up sitting there looking at each other, saying ‘We’re about to make the third.’ We never really knew if we were going to get to be there, but if that was how it was going to be, this was where it should end as well.”
As to the idea of seeing someone else in the role of Bruce Wayne, Bale seems very comfortable with the idea. “It’s a torch that should be handed from one actor to another,” he says. “I enjoy looking forward to what somebody else will come up with.”
That leads us to the all-important question of who should now become Batman? Warner Bros. and DC Comics make far too much cash off of the property for there to not be a cinematic Batman, but with Bale out of the picture who do you get to replace him? There are lots of actors who could potentially play Batman, but few who have the utter dedication to their craft to compete with the nuances Bale brought to the role. Plus, aesthetically, Bale was perfect to play the rich playboy cum worryingly morbid vigilante.
Since we’ve got nothin’, we’re turning this one over to you, dear readers. The comments section is below, so please make your arguments for who should next portray Batman on film. The first person to say “Kevin Conroy” loses points for blatant pandering (though I appreciate the effort).
Source: Entertainment Weekly
