Christian Bale Would Play Batman Again Under One Condition

Batman has been played by tons of actors over the years. Lewis Wilson first portrayed the Caped Crusader in 1943, and since then, at least 24 other actors have played Batman in film, both live-action and animated. The most recent of these was, of course, Robert Pattinson in 2022's "The Batman." However, even taking that deep history into account, there is an argument to be made that Christian Bale's take on the hero in director, co-writer, and producer Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight" trilogy might be one of the most iconic of them all.

Those who are particularly fond of the direction Bale took Batman in are no doubt curious if he would ever be willing to play the role again. It's a complicated question as actors of Bale's caliber (he's a four-time Oscar nominee and one-time winner, after all) tend to be deeply selective when it comes to choosing their roles. While donning the batsuit for another round of successful movies might seem like an obvious move, it would be reasonable to expect that no amount of money or begging would bring Bale back to Gotham.

However, in an interview with Screen Rant, Bale shared that there actually is one simple, if unlikely, condition that would need to be met for him to get back in the batmobile.

While speaking to Screen Rant, Christian Bale laid out exactly what would have to happen for him to decide to play Bruce Wayne for the fourth time.

"I had a pact with Chris Nolan," Bale said during his interview. "In my mind, it would be something if Chris Nolan ever said to himself, 'You know what, I've got another story to tell.' And if he wished to tell that story with me, I'd be in."

With movies like "Spider-Man: No Way Home" and "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" showing a willingness on Marvel's part to bring back fan-favorite superheroes and their respective actors, the moment feels right for a veteran's return. And with Michael Keaton set to play Batman again in both "Batgirl" and "The Flash," it does seem like a future appearance from Bale might not be so far-fetched, especially if requested by Nolan himself.

For the time being, however, neither Bale nor Nolan have made official plans to collaborate in the near future. Bale's next performance will be in "Thor: Love and Thunder" as Gorr the God Butcher, debuting July 8. Nolan's next film, "Oppenheimer," is slated to hit theaters on July 21, 2023.