Christian Bale Returning As Batman?
The Dark Knight may rise again as an inside scooper hints that Christian Bale will return as Batman in the upcoming Flash movie.
A little bat told us that the upcoming Flash film from DC Studios is bringing back a past Batman, who will then become a regular fixture in the new DC Universe. According to Cosmic Book News, that past Batman may just be the one played by Christian Bale… but we’re not exactly sure yet.
The article quotes a rumor shared by Grace Randolph. She said “I hear that it’s going to be a former Batman who cameos at the end of The Flash & could potentially stick around as the new permanent DCU Batman, Damian’s dad… I know who it is; but it would be uncool to reveal the whole thing.”
It is also kind of “uncool” to tease everyone like that and then not share the real answer… but before we get too judgy, Randolph did give us a clue. She included a photo in her tweet that narrowed down the choices to three former Batman actors: Val Kilmer, George Clooney, and Christian Bale.
We can eliminate Val Kilmer from this list, because he had throat cancer in 2014 and had a tracheotomy, causing him to lose his voice permanently. We can also most likely eliminate George Clooney, who has made fun of his version of Batman even more than audiences have over the years and has made it clear that he never wants to reprise that role. That leaves us with one option: Christian Bale.
Christian Bale or not, how exactly this new/old Batman will fit into the new DCU is a bit foggy at the moment, especially since there has been a ton of confusion surrounding The Flash and the other movies and shows that are supposed to come out of it. James Gunn and Peter Safran are completely redoing the entire DC Universe, canceling characters, and introducing new ones. They now have to go back and re-edit The Flash, which has already seen numerous production delays.
Originally, it was thought that Michael Keaton’s Batman would be the new Batman for the DCU, not Christian Bale, but his storyline in The Flash was then cut down since he was there as a mentor to Sasha Calle’s Supergirl, who was once intended to serve as the new “Superman” for the DCU, and to Leslie Grace’s Batgirl. Both of these actors/characters have now been erased or replaced, however (as has Henry Cavill’s Superman, who was originally in this film too), so Michael Keaton’s role has been greatly reduced.
According to James Gunn, Keaton is still in the film and plays an important part, but it is now assumed that he won’t be the one at the end who continues on as the Dark Knight. Christian Bale may be the one to take his place in that rumored cameo, which would actually make a lot of sense. Bale’s Batman was one of the darker ones, and that kind of intense, brooding energy sounds like it would be perfect for the upcoming The Brave and the Bold film, in which he would play mentor/father to a murderous assassin named Damian Wayne, who just so happens to be the son he didn’t know existed for most of his life.
Other rumors have it that Ben Affleck, who has also played Batman, may direct The Brave and the Bold, which would mean that he would be directing Christian Bale, his Dark Knight predecessor. Batman directing another Batman? Sounds like someone is messing with that pesky DC comics timeline again!
