Christian Bale Still Returning As Batman?
Could Christian Bale still return as Batman in The Flash? The latest rumor has it that the actor is still considering a cameo in the film
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We live in an age of comic book movies where any version of the character in almost any franchise timeline might show up in a future movie because the laws of space and time are no longer of any consequence in these fictional worlds. The Multiverse and its other studio equivalents have allowed the possibility to see our favorite heroes return in other franchises. And that’s where it might stand with Christian Bale who still could get into the cape and cowl for an upcoming movie. Insider Daniel Richtman has it that there’s a chance Bale does in fact make a cameo in the upcoming The Flash movie. It would mean multiple Batman cameos from previous movie versions up on screen together.
This latest Richtman rumor might be more of a pipe dream than reality, but these days nearly anything is possible when it comes to getting characters back on screen. Christian Bale had been rumored to possibly be making a comeback as Bruce Wayne/ Batman in The Flash which has already committed to exploring alternate realities within the DC Extended Universe. Then they signed on to bring Michael Keaton back as Batman for this film, possibly signaling that one was enough and Bale was out. This latest rumor though suggests there’s room for two (or three) when it comes to Batman in the movie.
Giant Freakin Robot had the exclusive a few months ago that Christian Bale was in negotiations to return as Batman in this movie. Though the news died down a bit after that, it sure seems like a cameo is a real possibility here. And it could be that Michael Keaton definitely returning only sweetened the proverbial pot when it comes to Bale cameo-ing as well. Considering Ben Affleck is already confirmed to appear as well there’s a sense of multi-generational versions of the character getting in on the action. It would feel like something almost historic at that point if all three were featured. Could it be that Bale doesn’t want to miss out on the moment?
It remains to be seen if Christian Bale does make a return to Batman in some capacity here. There are multiple ways to take a story like this and not all involve the versions of Batman suiting up and fighting crime. It’s already been leaked that Michael Keaton isn’t all that likely to actually jump back into the suit with the word being that the older version of the character will be more like a mentor. Affleck is likely to be in a similar role to what we saw in Justice League. But Bale could exist somewhere in between. We know that at the end of The Dark Knight Rises he was headed into retirement. It stands to reason we’d catch him there.
Even if Christian Bale weren’t planning a return to the big screen as Batman, we know he’s joining another comic book franchise. Though this one will be a totally different role. He’s set to play Gorr the God Butcher in the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder. It will be a villain turn for the actor and the name doesn’t leave much to the imagination. He’s on a quest to kill all of the gods and Thor definitely fits the bill in that respect. That film is set to be a blockbuster when it releases next year.
There probably isn’t tons of time to firm up this role for Christian Bale in The Flash. Principal photography has already started and is set to really ramp up this month at various locations. We’d mostly just be looking for Bale in a cameo, but that would almost be good enough to make sure all versions of Batman showed up in the same film.
