Updated GMT HKT August 15, Stars Screen Binge Culture Media. By Jeff Labrecque, EW Updated GMT HKT August 15, Chat with us in Facebook Messenger.

Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. Story highlights There's buzz that a big paycheck could be in the offering for Bale He has expressed wanting to pass the torch to another Batman Bale has not officially booked any projects for Fans of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy and Bale's dark portrayal of the Caped Crusader immediately rejoiced, convincing themselves that Bale's previous denials and his desire to pass the torch to another Batman could quickly be erased by cold hard cash.

Perhaps that will eventually be the case. The recent online buzz erupted after the London Sun reported that "Bale is facing extraordinary pressure" to return to the character for a huge payday. The Sun's sources, however, aren't exactly Warner Bros.

Christian Bale Says His Batman Doesn't Belong in 'Batman v Superman'

Instead, the tabloid was blindly relying on a new ebook titled Beyond Batman: The Unauthorized True Story of Christian Bale and His Dark Knight Dilemma. It's a page mini-book from an author named Vincent Russel, who's also written an unauthorized biography of WWE superstar CM Punk.

In Beyond Batman, Russel writes about a New Year's Eve conversation about a potential Justice League movie that he had with a friend who worked at Legendary Pictures during the making of the Dark Knight films:. Sources close to Christian Bale have reportedly begun expressing their suspicions that Bale now views the Batman films in the same light that Robert Downey, Jr.

Christian Bale: I could have been a better Batman | Film | The Guardian

Although Downey has appeared as Tony Stark in four films in less than a decade, he's hardly typecast as only Iron Man. Downey has balanced his action film escapades with other projects that have harnessed his talents and earned critical acclaim in the process. Christian Bale's future success as a Hollywood draw may need Batman every bit as much as the Batman franchise needs Bale for a few more rounds.

It goes without saying that Bale's managers, friends, and representatives are all telling him the same. And as anyone who has ever worked with Bale will admit, the actor is incredibly sharp, business savvy, and perceptive. As a result, it seems highly unlikely that Christian Bale will bolt from Batman when the bat signal is still glimmering above the Hollywood sign with such tangible fervor. Now, let's assume Russel's former colleague is a top Legendary executive and that everything he said accurately reflects the company's thinking That still doesn't equate into what's being reported by many outlets today.

Of course Warner Bros. Reportedly, director Zack Snyder wants a slightly older, wearier Batman to battle Cavill's younger Superman. That would be Bale, who's only 39, but he certainly pulled that off in The Dark Knight Rises.

Zack Snyder looking for an older Batman? For those who want to go down the rabbit-hole, Bale starts shooting Exodus, his Moses epic with Ridley Scott, this fall, but he's not yet officially booked for anything in early , when Batman vs.

Christian Bale - Wikipedia

Superman is tentatively scheduled to shoot. So he's potentially available. Bale also wouldn't be the first actor to feign disinterest in order to secure a better payday. He's either completely content with walking away from the franchise, or he's playing this non-negotiation negotiation perfectly.

Conceivably, he could return as Batman for one epic battle with Superman, really die the noble death he faked in Dark Knight Rises and then hand the keys of the Tumbler over to his new successor, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, for the subsequent Justice League movie — STOP!!!

But the fact is, Warner Bros. See the original story at EW. Terms of service Privacy guidelines.