There is hardly an actor so dynamic and diverse as Christian Bale. An incredible actor with a never-ending acting range, Bale continues to leave his viewers in shock with every role he does. From being the formidable villain in Thor: Love and Thunder to portraying one of the best versions of the Dark Knight, the actor has repeatedly proven that nobody can do it like him.
And perhaps that is why Christopher Nolan decided to cast him as Batman in his highly acclaimed The Dark Knight trilogy. While Nolan knew he was exceptionally talented, it was Bale’s acting in American Psycho that convinced him to cast him as Batman.
Christopher Nolan Cast Christian Bale As Batman Because Of American Psycho
Christian Bale was already a heartthrob thanks to his role in the 1994 adaptation of Little Women. But it was his deeply disturbing yet comical portrayal of Patrick Bateman in America Psycho that put him on Hollywood’s radar for upcoming talented actors.
Keeping true to the novel, Bale’s portrayal was a perfect blend of deeply narcissistic, sadistic, and unsettling ‘psycho’ driven by greed and materialism. While the character became his breakthrough role, it also helped him win his fan-favorite role of Batman.
While talking to USA Today (via CNN), Christopher Nolan, who has directed Bale in four movies till now, revealed that it was the actor’s performance in American Psycho that convinced him to cast him as Batman.
“I knew I wanted to work with him when I saw him in ‘American Psycho’. “You have to be extremely talented to take that kind of absurd violence and make it funny. That’s what I wanted for Batman, too.”
Although it seems hilarious that a role as psychotic as Bateman would lead to Bale portraying Batman, life seems to work in mysterious ways.
Also Read: Michael Keaton Didn’t Just Struggle With Claustrophobia While Wearing the Batman Suit
Would Christian Bale Ever Return As Batman?
The majority of comic book fans would agree that Christian Bale as Batman was one of, if not the best portrayals of the Dark Knight ever seen. Ever since he said goodbye to his billion-grossing The Dark Knight franchise (via Box Office Mojo), fans have been desperate to have him reprise his role of the Caped Crusader once again.
While there has been no news of him reprising his fan-favorite role anytime soon, the actor got candid about being open to playing Batman once again, only if Christoper Nolan asks him to. While speaking to Screen Rant at a press conference, he stated,
“I had a pact with Chris Nolan. We said, ‘Hey, look. Let’s make three films, if we’re lucky enough to get to do that. And then let’s walk away. Let’s not linger too long.’ 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.”
While Nolan himself doesn’t seem to have any other Bat story to tell anytime soon, fans remain hopeful that Michael Keaton could return as Batman, and hopefully, Christian Bale will too.
The Dark Knight franchise can be streamed on Max, while American Psycho can be streamed on Peacock.
