What Is Christian Bale's Pact With Christopher Nolan About??

Hollywood star Christian Bale's time as a superhero is one he will never forget. The English actor made his debut as Batman/Bruce Wayne in the 2005 DC film "Batman Begins," a role he later reprised in the sequels "The Dark Knight" (2008) and "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012).

Ultimately, the film became a commercial success that set the stage for DC's decision to create superhero crossover scenarios such as the Justice League, a move that first gained much momentum following rivals Marvel's Avengers.

On whether he would be willing to reprise the role for the fourth time, Bale has indicated his interest in doing such, but only on one exceptional condition.

According to ScreenRant, the "Vice" actor has not closed the door on coming back in a fourth installment as the caped vigilante since he left the franchise after the end of Nolan's trilogy. He revealed that he would be inspired to make a comeback if Nolan, who directed the trilogy, helms the new hypothetical picture.

"I had a pact with Chris Nolan," Bale told the movie publication. "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."

The presence of Nolan and Bale in the franchise revitalized a character that had been sidelined by Warner Bros. following a succession of disappointing results, culminating in the box-office disaster of Batman & Robin (1997).

Bale's ability to seamlessly transform into a character made him a favorite. However, this decreased after the third installment failed to live up to expectations owing to plot gaps, an overcooked third act, and a contentious finale.

However, after he departed from the franchise, there were multiple reports of his returning. The actor dismissed all of them as unsubstantiated claims and told the outlet that he had not been approached.

"No. No one's ever mentioned it to me. No one's brought it up," Bale said about coming back to play the titular character. "Occasionally, people say to me, 'Oh, I hear you were approached and offered all this." And I'm like, 'That's news to me. No one's ever said that.'"

Since Bale's departure, the Batman persona has had numerous incarnations, including Ben Affleck in "Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice" and the live-action adaption of "Justice League." In addition," Robert Pattinson is the latest actor to don the cape following his appearance in the 2022 noir-style version "The Batman."

The latter received praise earlier this year for his performance in the "The Batman," which grossed $770 million worldwide, topping Bale's "Batman Begins" twice. It was noted for its edgy, dark subject, which revealed the main character's more ethically ambiguous side.

Given that he is one of the incarnations of the caped crusader, one may expect Bale to be among the first few to view the film. However, he recently stated that this has not yet occurred while still praising Pattinson.

"I still haven't seen it. I will see it," The "Equilibrium" actor recently informed Variety. "Listen, mate, it's amazing how few films I see. Every director I work with, I've seen a couple of their films, and they're always looking at me, going, 'Are you kidding?' I like to really savor films, and I don't watch too many. But I will, I certainly will."

Bale continued, "Robert is an absolutely wonderful actor. We bumped into each other, talked a little bit about it ahead of time, and I heard wonderful things."

The actor's desire to return if Nolan directs does not necessarily increase the likelihood of it occurring, as the showrunners may struggle to develop a Batman project in which he would play a prominent part. Pattinson's version, which is the most recent, is still running and has chosen a new plot route unrelated to everything else that has been done.

It would take a couple more years for DC to finish this current version, and by then, Bale may be involved in another project, or Nolan himself could be unavailable. Furthermore, the most obvious choice would have been to cast him with Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck in the impending standalone "Flash" picture, but Bale was not included for some reason.

Even if such a return does not occur, Nolan and Bale have impacted comic book/superhero-themed movies with their pragmatic approach to the genre in "Batman Begins" and ultimately put out one of the finest trilogies ever filmed in this century.