Christian Bale is well known among audiences for portraying Bruce Wayne/Batman in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. The films have been considered the best in the world of the superhero genre combining elements of real-life crime and the concept of anarchy. Nolan took a gritty and grounded take on the genre without all the larger-than-life elements that come with the genre.
There was a lot of skepticism among people when Nolan was trying to make Batman Begins. The casting of Bale received a lot of flak with people not able to imagine the actor in the role. The approach to making the character dark and serious was also a source of criticism from people who believed that a serious Batman would never work on screen.
People Laughed at The Idea of Making a Serious Batman
Christopher Nolan took up the risky responsibility of trying to reboot the Batman franchise with Batman Begins. Unlike the campy and larger-than-life approach of the character in the films that came before, Nolan wanted a more realistic and gritty take on the character.
Christian Bale who was on board with a unique approach to the character was made aware that the general public and fans were not sure about the new direction that Nolan was taking. In an interview with The Washington Post, Bale talked about how people laughed at him when he told them about doing a serious Batman.
However, he believed Nolan’s unique take on the character and was determined to prove the naysayers wrong. He said,
“I would [tell people] we’re going to sort of do Batman but take him seriously. I had tons of people laugh at me and just say, ‘Well that’s just not going to work at all.’ So, it’s wonderful to be a part of a trilogy that proved those people wrong. I’m not certain if it kick-started [the MCU] but it certainly helped along the way.”
The risk and bold move paid off greatly as the Dark Knight trilogy became the staple of doing a great superhero film that addressed real-world issues and relatable themes. Bale’s take on the character also received acclaim from critics and audiences.
Jake Gyllenhaal Was in The Running for Batman in Christopher Nolan’s Trilogy
When Christopher Nolan decided to reboot Batman, it was a bold risk for a filmmaker who had no experience of making a big studio film at the time. He wanted a more realistic and serious take on the character, with many actors auditioning for the role. While Christian Bale was ultimately cast as Batman, it seems Jake Gyllenhaal came close to playing the character.
The writer of the Dark Knight trilogy David S. Goyer in an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused Podcast revealed that he vouched for Gyllenhaal for the role as thought he was an amazing actor. He said,
“We would chat about all sorts of things. There were a number of people who had screen-tested, and I had advocated for Gyllenhaal. I mean, Gyllenhaal is amazing, Christian Bale is amazing, so who knows what.”
It would have been amazing to see how Gyllenhaal would have portrayed the role. He is an extremely versatile actor and he would have done full justice to the character. The fact that Nolan wanted a serious take on the character fits Gyllenhaal well as he is known for his intense roles.
