Christian Bale’s Batman will forever remain iconic. The actor perfectly captured the essence of the Caped Crusader and with Christoper Nolan’s help, was able to bring forth some of the best superhero films of all time. The Dark Knight trilogy set the bar so high that it is near-impossible for others to reach the height.
Playing a character like Batman is not an easy task and there is very little room for error. After all, there are years and years of history behind the superhero and we wouldn’t want to upset the die-hard fans now, would we? In order to bring their best out, actors improvise sometimes and while Christian Bale tried to do so once, Michael Caine brutally shut him down and the young actor decided that it was better for him not to argue back.
When Michael Caine Shut Down Christian Bale’s Improv
Before the release of their film Ford v Ferrari in 2019, Matt Damon and Christian Bale sat down with GQ magazine where they talked about anything and everything under the sun. The conversation was candid and nostalgic with the two powerhouses talking about everything from their iconic roles to stunts gone wrong.
During the conversation, GQ asked Bale about his experience working with the legendary Michael Caine in The Dark Knight trilogy. Caine played the role of Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne’s loyal butler and father figure. And just like Alfred looked after Bruce, Caine too looked after Bale and guided him away from making a mistake during the shoot.
The magazine recalled hearing about Caine’s vision of Batman and what the character should and shouldn’t do. They mentioned the time when Bale’s Batman had been knocked out and was drooling, an act that did not sit right with Caine.
Bale affirmed the story and stated,
I did that. I had some saliva coming out of my mouth. And Chris [Nolan] went, ‘Maybe not.’ And I was talking through the point, like, ‘Come on. It really would be good to have this.’
While Bale found it in himself to debate about the dribble with Christopher Nolan, the actual filmmaker of the trilogy, he backed away when Caine told him off.
Then Michael overheard it and he went, [Michael Caine voice] ‘Dribble? Dribble? You can’t bloody dribble, you’re Batman, ain’t you?’ It was like, ‘Alrighty. Wipe up the dribble.’
Clearly, Bale was not going to question his co-star’s authority and decided that it was better for him to take a step back.
Michael Caine Talks About Working with Christian Bale
In an old interview with Black Film, Caine opened up about The Dark Knight trilogy and his approach to Alfred. When asked about working with Bale, Michael Caine mentioned that while he was great to work with, he had initial doubts about him playing Batman when he first heard the news.
Why? Well, since the Sleuth actor had only seen Bale in American Psycho, he thought that he was a little too thin to play Bruce Wayne.
Caine told Black Film,
Oh, he’s great to work with. Completely dedicated. Physically, if you saw what he did with himself, he’s so big. I’d seen him in American Psycho and when they said, Christian, I said, ‘He’s kind of thin for Batman.’ Otherwise, I would have freaked out if I had seen that…The Machinist.
Of course, his views changed the moment he stepped onto the set and saw Bale who looked like Arnold Schwarzenegger had stepped straight out from a poster. He stated, “But then when I walked on the set there’s Arnold Schwarzenegger standing there. I went, ‘Oops!’” And thus, Caine stood corrected.
Stream The Dark Knight trilogy on Max.
