Anytime a new actor is called to play a role as high-profile as Batman, they’re always going to be placed under intense scrutiny from the very second the casting is announced. Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck generated huge controversy after first signing on to play the Caped Crusader, while Robert Pattinson, the latest name to struggle to squeeze himself into the suit for The Batman, has also been the victim of a great deal of negativity from certain sections of the fanbase.
One of the lucky actors that faced very little criticism for being cast as the hero was Christian Bale, with the Welsh actor having already carved out a hugely successful career defined by how deeply he immersed himself into his characters. Having headlined the critically and commercially acclaimed Dark Knight Trilogy, Bale is likely to be facing Batman-related questions for the rest of his career and when giving an interview to promote Ford V Ferrari, the Academy Award winner was asked about Robert Pattinson taking up the mantle of Batman, and offered some sage advice for the Twilight star.
“Good for him. Just make it his own, don’t listen to the naysayers. That’s about it, everybody protested when Heath Ledger was cast as the Joker. Look what an absolutely brilliant performance he gave. Don’t listen to those guys, do his own thing. He’s a fascinating actor, he’s a great choice.”
This isn’t the first time Bale has had to pass on advice to his successor as the World’s Greatest Detective, having told both Pattinson and Ben Affleck that being able to pee in the suit is of the highest priority.
With The Batman set to officially start pre-production soon, fans will be glued to their screens for any kind of information that comes from the set of Matt Reeves’ noir-inspired superhero blockbuster. Pattinson has already addressed the online trolls that have criticized his casting as the title character, but based on his body of work over the last decade, the 33 year-old is a solid choice to play one of cinema’s most iconic heroes.
