Christian Bale will be returning to the superhero genre for Marvel’s Thor: Love and Thunder, but it’s possible he’s having such a good time shooting that movie that he’s considering coming back as Batman for DC, too. Bale portrayed Bruce Wayne across Christopher Nolan’s acclaimed Dark Knight trilogy, with it seeming unlikely we’d ever see him play the part again once the DCEU got started. But a certain upcoming DC film will dive into the multiverse in a big way, allowing the possibility for him to suit up.
Yes, we’re talking about The Flash. Giant Freakin Robot is reporting that Bale is currently in talks with Warner Bros. to return as the Caped Crusader in the Ezra Miller vehicle. We’ve been hearing since last year that Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton will likewise both appear in the movie, so you might be thinking that three different Batmen would be too many. Well, GFR writes that it’s possible Bale is being roped in now as a replacement for Keaton.
Though it was initially talked about as a done deal, the actor has recently thrown doubt on whether he’ll be part of the production, which is weird considering filming has already begun. GFR can’t say at this stage whether Keaton is in or out, but they think it’s likely that Warner Bros. would only be able to clinch a deal with either him or Bale and not both. The Tim Burton leading man was expected to have a hefty role in The Flash, but it’s unclear how involved The Dark Knight star would be.
All this sounds like The Flash is still under construction in some pretty major ways even when the cameras are already rolling. The project has been stuck in development hell for years, with various filmmakers coming and going, so it probably makes sense for its production to be just as chaotic as its pre-production period. Obviously, though, fans hope director Andy Muschietti is able to pull it all together at the end of it, as the Scarlet Speedster’s first solo cinematic outing has the potential to be something special.
Christian Bale will be seen as Gorr the God Butcher in Marvel’s Thor: Love and Thunder, which lands in May 2022.
