It seems hard to believe, but Christian Bale has been a regular fixture on our screens for over 30 years, having gotten his big break playing the lead role in Steven Spielberg’s 1987 war drama Empire of the Sun, and in the decades since he’s gone on to firmly establish himself as one of the greatest actors of his generation, if not one of the best ever.
The famously committed 46 year-old is notoriously picky about the projects he signs on to, which makes his impending Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as the villain of Thor: Love and Thunder so exciting. Not only does it mark his first venture into comic book territory since headlining the Dark Knight Trilogy, but it’ll also be the first time he’s appeared in any non-Batman blockbuster since 2009’s poorly-received Terminator Salvation.
While he’s known for his dedication to every role he plays and the often-startling transformations that come with it, not every movie Bale makes is designed solely to put him in the awards season conversation, and one of his most purely entertaining and underrated efforts is set to arrive on Hulu next month, on August 1st.
A remake of the 1957 original that was itself based on a short story by Get Shorty author Elmore Leonard, 3:10 to Yuma is a straightforward and old-fashioned Western that sees Bale’s crippled war veteran tasked with escorting Russell Crowe’s notorious outlaw onto the titular train while trying to evade the latter’s posse as they try to get their leader back.
Directed by Logan’s James Mangold, 3:10 to Yuma received widespread critical acclaim and scooped two Academy Award nominations but never managed to catch on with audiences, and only ended up earning $70 million at the box office against a budget of $55 million. However, the defiantly old-school Western is well worth checking out, and its upcoming arrival on Hulu could see it finding a whole new audience.
