Warner Bros. Wanted A Sequel To THE DARK KNIGHT RISES According To Star Christian Bale

In a new interview, Ford v. Ferrari star Christian Bale reveals that Warner Bros. approached him for a fourth appearance as the Caped Crusader following the release of The Dark Knight Rises. Check it out!

By JoshWilding - Nov 18, 2019 12:11 PM EST

Filed Under: The Dark Knight

Christian Bale has recently been doing the rounds to promote Ford v. Ferrari, and the subject of Batman came up yet again. This time, rather than being asked about Robert Pattinson's version of the Caped Crusader, Toronto Sun asked about his time playing the character in The Dark Knight Trilogy.

"When they came and said, ‘You want to go make [a second film]?’ It was fantastic, but we still said, ‘This is it. We will not get another opportunity,'" Bale said about his time as Bruce Wayne. "Then they came and they said, ‘OK, let’s do the third one.’ Chris had always said to me that if we were fortunate to be able to make three we would stop. ‘Let’s walk away after that,’ he said."

It was then that Bale revealed that Warner Bros. approached him for a fourth appearance as Batman despite the fact that The Dark Knight Rises had a definitive conclusion. "When they inevitably came to us and said, ‘How about a No. 4?’ I said, ‘No. We have to stick to Chris’ dream, which was always to, hopefully, do a trilogy. Let’s not stretch too far and become overindulgent and go for a fourth.'"

At the time, it was rumoured that the studio wanted Bale to reprise the role in what would become Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and while we don't know whether this is what that fourth movie would have been, it's hard to not to think about the prospect of Bale's version of The Dark Knight facing off with The Man of Steel.

What do you guys think?

Hit the "View List" button for a reminder of the actors who
have been confirmed to appear in Matt Reeves' The Batman!

Batman - Robert Pattinson

British actor Robert Pattinson may be best known for starring in the Twilight movies but things have changed a lot for him since then. After delivering critically acclaimed performances in movies like The Lighthouse and The King this year, he's currently shooting Christopher Nolan's new film Tenet.

Pattinson is already in training for The Batman, and he's been doing his comic book research too.

Not much is known about his take on the Caped Crusader beyond the fact that he will be portrayed as the World's Greatest Detective, but Pattinson has seen the suit and promises that it's "cool."

Catwoman - Zoë Kravitz

Zoë Kravitz is definitely an unexpected choice to play Selina Kyle, but she's an extremely talented actress who has impressed in big budget blockbusters like Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and Mad Max: Fury Road as well as critically acclaimed fare such as Big Little Lies.

Kravitz has a unique look which should fit Catwoman down to a tee, and while we have no idea whether this movie will serve as an origin story for her as well, that costume reveal promises to break the internet as it's been a long time since we've seen a comic accurate Selina!

Alfred Pennyworth - Andy Serkis

It was only last night that we learned Andy Serkis is in talks to play Alfred Pennyworth, and while this is definitely an unconventional casting decision on Reeves' part, it's also one which is downright excellent. With a younger Batman, the movie also needs a younger Alfred, and it's easy to imagine Serkis bringing a unique charm and flare to his version of the iconic butler.

The dynamic between Ben Affleck and Jeremy Irons was enjoyable but a tad dry, and there was obviously a lot of emotion involved with Christian Bale and Michael Caine. With Serkis, you have to believe he'll have a lot more fun with the character and that hopefully means we can expect a relationship similar to the one in Scott Snyder's Batman run, or even Batman: Earth One.

As well as his many mo-cap performances in franchises like The Lord of the Rings and Planet of the Apes, Serkis also impressed as the villainous Ulysses Klaue in Black Panther last year.

The Riddler - Paul Dano

Paul Dano is one of those actors you probably never expected to see in a superhero movie, especially after his acclaimed performances in very serious dramas like 12 Years a Slave, War & Peace, and Escape at Dannemora. However, Reeves has clearly sold him on the idea because he's joined The Batman as its lead villain, The Riddler.

That's right, reliable sources have indeed indicated that the Dark Knight's main foe here will be Edward Nashton, a fitting choice seeing as this is meant to be a classic detective's tale.

Fans have been crying out for a new take on The Riddler for years now, and it's easy to imagine Dano delivering a complex and exciting performance which puts the villain on the map.

The Penguin - Colin Farrell

Another casting addition made just last night, it's interesting that Reeves went from eyeing Jonah Hill for the role of The Penguin to Dumbo and Fantatsic Beasts and Where to Find Them star Colin Farrell. A major comic book movie role for the Irish actor is long overdue at this point, and while he may not look like the classic Oswald Cobblepot, that's no reason to worry.

He may end up donning prosthetics, but The Penguin doesn't have to be a portly man in order to be an effective villain, something Telltale's Batman video game and Gotham proved. Farrell is great at playing the bad guy, and seeing him match wits with Pattinson's Caped Crusader as Gotham City's crime lord promises to be a potential highlight in The Batman.

Commissioner Gordon - Jeffrey Wright

Some comic book fans respond poorly when a character is race-swapped, but everyone can agree that Westworld's Jeffrey Wright is a phenomenal actor who will definitely do Jim Gordon justice.

It's a shame that we won't get to see more of J.K. Simmons' version of the character after his brief appearance in Justice League, but this is a bold casting decision on Reeves' part and seeing how this Gordon differs to past takes (not to mention his dynamic with Pattinson's Batman) should be a lot of fun.

Two-Face

According to the trades, Harvey Dent is the next major character Reeves is looking to cast for The Batman and one actor from Succession has already passed on the role. Seeing as we're getting a younger Bruce Wayne here, don't be surprised if we meet Harvey as the District Attorney before he becomes Ta Two-Faced thorn in the character's side a little further down the line.

Mad Hatter

According to reports earlier this year, Mad Hatter will also have a role to play in the movie and Reeves is hoping to nab an actor between the ages of 40 and 50 to play this particular villain. We've heard no casting news as of yet, but it's been said that Batman will come across a number of rogues in this film, so a minor baddie like this appearing at some point definitely makes sense.

Firefly

Another bad guy mentioned in the same casting breakdown that revealed the role of characters like Catwoman, The Riddler, and The Penguin, Reeves reportedly wants a male actor between the ages of 20 and 30 of any ethnicity, and we can safely assume that he'll be a henchmen or someone Batman quickly deals with. He's a minor villain, but one who would make for a cool fight scene.

What About The Joker?

The Joker has been done to death on the big screen at this poin,t and with Joaquin Phoenix's take on the Clown Prince of Crime receiving rave reviews, it would definitely be interesting to see what Reeves would do with another fresh take on the iconic villain. He needs to exist in this world, but something tells us he'll only receive a mention as there's been no indication he'll appear, sadly!

What do you guys think about The Batman's cast so far? Let us know in the comments section and keep checking back here as we continue to update this breakdown of actors/characters!

THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY Writer Jonathan Nolans Reveals The Riddler Was Considered (And Why He Didn't Appear)

Recommended For You:

THE DARK KNIGHT Director Christopher Nolan On Why The Movie's Most Famous Line Still Plagues Him

DISCLAIMER: ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and... [MORE]

ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Do you have what it takes to write for us?

Want to contribute?

126 Comments

1 2 3 4

Supes17 - 11/18/2019, 12:33 PM

Still my favorite CBM trilogy. Interestingly enough, the first two films have actually aged a lot better than the third.

TDK is still the goat

blitzburgh - 11/18/2019, 7:44 PM

@Supes17 - Rises fuking sucks

WilliamHMacy - 11/23/2019, 10:16 AM

@blitzburgh - I like Rises better than Begins myself.

blitzburgh - 11/23/2019, 8:53 PM

@WilliamHMacy - Rises is terrible.... Love begins, like dk allot

GhostDog - 11/18/2019, 12:35 PM

The fourth film would've been Bruce rehabbing for 2 and half hours

FleischerSupes - 11/18/2019, 12:56 PM

@BlackBeltJones - That was my main problem with Rises. Bruce has had enough Batman exploits to virtually ruin his body (plus build a batcave) but apparently the movies skipped over most of them.

GhostDog - 11/18/2019, 1:18 PM

@FleischerSupes - Yea it skipped over a lot and I never liked the 8 year jump. Also, the movies implies Bats hasn't been seen in 8 years, so all those injuries are from BB and TDK?

Bane should've attacked Gotham at its most vulnerable: right after Batman races into the night on the batpod, Dent has just been killed, and the police force is reeling with corruption.

TheSavage - 11/18/2019, 1:31 PM

@BlackBeltJones - and Gotham Knight (if you count it as cannon)

TheUnworthyThor - 11/18/2019, 12:35 PM

Yeah glad he said no. That trilogy had about as conclusive an ending you can get and that Batman would never work with the Wonder Woman and Aquaman we’ve gotten.

1 2 3 4

Related Headlines

The Dark Knight

THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY Writer Jonathan Nolans Reveals The Riddler Was Considered (And Why He Didn't Appear)

JoshWilding

Apr 08, 2024 11:04 AM

The Dark Knight

THE DARK KNIGHT Director Christopher Nolan On Why The Movie's Most Famous Line Still Plagues Him

JoshWilding

Feb 26, 2024 02:02 PM

The Dark Knight

THE DARK KNIGHT Director Christopher Nolan Says He'd "Love" To Helm A Horror Movie

MarkCassidy

Feb 17, 2024 08:02 AM

Related Headlines

The Dark Knight

THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY Writer Jonathan Nolans Reveals The Riddler Was Considered (And Why He Didn't Appear)

JoshWilding

Apr 08, 2024 11:04 AM

The Dark Knight

THE DARK KNIGHT Director Christopher Nolan On Why The Movie's Most Famous Line Still Plagues Him

JoshWilding

Feb 26, 2024 02:02 PM

The Dark Knight

THE DARK KNIGHT Director Christopher Nolan Says He'd "Love" To Helm A Horror Movie

MarkCassidy

Feb 17, 2024 08:02 AM

The Dark Knight

THE DARK KNIGHT Star Aaron Eckhart Believes Future Superhero Movies Need To Be More Grounded

JoshWilding

Jan 09, 2024 06:01 AM

The Dark Knight

THE DARK KNIGHT: Never-Before-Seen Photos Of Heath Ledger's Joker Have Been Revealed

JoshWilding

Oct 26, 2023 08:10 AM

The Dark Knight

Superman

SUPERMAN Director James Gunn Shares New Behind-The-Scenes Photo With David Corenswet And Rachel Brosnahan

MarkCassidy

6 hours ago

Sci-Fi

REBEL MOON R-Rated Director's Cut Will Include A Graphic Alien Sex Scene

MarkCassidy

8 hours ago

Latest Headlines

Batman vs. Superman

Leonardo DiCaprio Was In Talks To Play Lex Luthor In BVS; Gave Zack Snyder JUSTICE LEAGUE Idea

MarkCassidy

3 hours ago

Superman

SUPERMAN Director James Gunn Shares New Behind-The-Scenes Photo With David Corenswet And Rachel Brosnahan

MarkCassidy

6 hours ago

Sci-Fi

REBEL MOON R-Rated Director's Cut Will Include A Graphic Alien Sex Scene

MarkCassidy

8 hours ago

Sci-Fi

Steven Spielberg's Next Project Will Reportedly Be A UFO Movie Based On His Own Original Idea

MarkCassidy

8 hours ago

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE Star Kevin Durand Reveals Plans For The Blob In Scrapped Sequel

JoshWilding

9 hours ago

Justice League

JUSTICE LEAGUE Director Zack Snyder Says He's "Pretty Excited" About James Gunn's DCU Plans

JoshWilding

9 hours ago

Hot Headlines

177 comments

SUPERMAN: James Gunn's DCU Reboot Finds Its Martha "Ma" Kent

MarkCassidy

1 day ago EST

139 comments

Hollywood Producer Slams MADAME WEB Star Sydney Sweeney: "She's Not Pretty, She Can't Act"

MarkCassidy

1 day ago EST

91 comments

THE FANTASTIC FOUR Rumored To Introduce Norrin Radd Alongside Julia Garner's Silver Surfer

MarkCassidy

16 hours ago EST

90 comments

James Gunn’s SUPERMAN Casts Pruitt Taylor Vince To Play Pa Kent In The DCU's Inaugural Film

MarkJulian

1 day ago EST

87 comments

More Sci-Fi & Fantasy ►

SNOW WHITE Rumored Plot Details May Clear Up Seven Dwarfs/Seven Bandits Confusion

More Cartoons & Animated ►

Jack Black Seemingly Confirms Who He Will Be Playing In The Upcoming MINECRAFT Movie

More Anime & Manga ►

TRAP: First Trailer For M. Night Shyamalan's Latest Spoils The Big Twist

More Horror ►

JAMES BOND: Henry Cavill Isn't Closing The Door On Playing 007; Maybe I'm Too Old Now. Maybe I'm Not...

More Action Movies & TV ►

AEW EVPs Matt And Nick Jackson, The Young Bucks, Have No Regrets After Airing ALL IN Footage

More Pro Wrestling ►

FURIOSA: Witness Anya Taylor-Joy As The Wasteland Warrior On New Total Film Covers

More Sci-Fi & Fantasy ►

More Cartoons & Animated ►

More Anime & Manga ►

More Horror ►

More Action Movies & TV ►

More Pro Wrestling ►

Warner Bros. Wanted A Sequel To THE DARK KNIGHT RISES According To Star Christian Bale

In a new interview, Ford v. Ferrari star Christian Bale reveals that Warner Bros. approached him for a fourth appearance as the Caped Crusader following the release of The Dark Knight Rises. Check it out!

Batman - Robert Pattinson

Catwoman - Zoë Kravitz

Alfred Pennyworth - Andy Serkis

The Riddler - Paul Dano

The Penguin - Colin Farrell

Commissioner Gordon - Jeffrey Wright

Two-Face

Mad Hatter

Firefly

What About The Joker?

THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY Writer Jonathan Nolans Reveals The Riddler Was Considered (And Why He Didn't Appear)

THE DARK KNIGHT Director Christopher Nolan On Why The Movie's Most Famous Line Still Plagues Him

THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY Writer Jonathan Nolans Reveals The Riddler Was Considered (And Why He Didn't Appear)

THE DARK KNIGHT Director Christopher Nolan On Why The Movie's Most Famous Line Still Plagues Him

THE DARK KNIGHT Director Christopher Nolan Says He'd "Love" To Helm A Horror Movie

THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY Writer Jonathan Nolans Reveals The Riddler Was Considered (And Why He Didn't Appear)

THE DARK KNIGHT Director Christopher Nolan On Why The Movie's Most Famous Line Still Plagues Him

THE DARK KNIGHT Director Christopher Nolan Says He'd "Love" To Helm A Horror Movie

THE DARK KNIGHT Star Aaron Eckhart Believes Future Superhero Movies Need To Be More Grounded

THE DARK KNIGHT: Never-Before-Seen Photos Of Heath Ledger's Joker Have Been Revealed

Legendary THE DARK KNIGHT Trilogy Star Sir Michael Caine Officially Retires From Acting Aged 90

Popular Headlines

SUPERMAN: James Gunn's DCU Reboot Finds Its Martha "Ma" Kent

Hollywood Producer Slams MADAME WEB Star Sydney Sweeney: "She's Not Pretty, She Can't Act"

SUPERMAN Director James Gunn Shares New Behind-The-Scenes Photo With David Corenswet And Rachel Brosnahan

MCU Rumor Roundup: Sydney Sweeney Joins The MCU, Thanos' Return, THE FANTASTIC FOUR's Setting, And More

JUSTICE LEAGUE Star Henry Cavill Takes A Shot At His Superman Return In BLACK ADAM's Post-Credits Scene

Leonardo DiCaprio Was In Talks To Play Lex Luthor In BVS; Gave Zack Snyder JUSTICE LEAGUE Idea

SUPERMAN Director James Gunn Shares New Behind-The-Scenes Photo With David Corenswet And Rachel Brosnahan

REBEL MOON R-Rated Director's Cut Will Include A Graphic Alien Sex Scene

Leonardo DiCaprio Was In Talks To Play Lex Luthor In BVS; Gave Zack Snyder JUSTICE LEAGUE Idea

SUPERMAN Director James Gunn Shares New Behind-The-Scenes Photo With David Corenswet And Rachel Brosnahan

REBEL MOON R-Rated Director's Cut Will Include A Graphic Alien Sex Scene

Steven Spielberg's Next Project Will Reportedly Be A UFO Movie Based On His Own Original Idea

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE Star Kevin Durand Reveals Plans For The Blob In Scrapped Sequel

JUSTICE LEAGUE Director Zack Snyder Says He's "Pretty Excited" About James Gunn's DCU Plans

Hot Headlines

SUPERMAN: James Gunn's DCU Reboot Finds Its Martha "Ma" Kent

Hollywood Producer Slams MADAME WEB Star Sydney Sweeney: "She's Not Pretty, She Can't Act"

THE FANTASTIC FOUR Rumored To Introduce Norrin Radd Alongside Julia Garner's Silver Surfer

James Gunn’s SUPERMAN Casts Pruitt Taylor Vince To Play Pa Kent In The DCU's Inaugural Film

ANT-MAN: Michael Douglas Pushed For Hank Pym's Death In QUANTUMANIA; Suggests He's Now Done With The Role

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

FURIOSA: Witness Anya Taylor-Joy As The Wasteland Warrior On New Total Film Covers

REBEL MOON Director Zack Snyder Suggests He Has A Six-Movie Plan For Netflix's Sci-Fi Franchise

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS Director Steven Spielberg Reportedly Planning To Return To Sci-Fi Genre For His Next Movie

Cartoons & Animated Features

SNOW WHITE Rumored Plot Details May Clear Up Seven Dwarfs/Seven Bandits Confusion

TRANSFORMERS ONE Trailer Reveals The Origins Of Optimus Prime And Megatron

X-MEN '97 Creative Express Interest In Bringing An X-MEN Animated Movie To Theaters

Gaming

Jack Black Seemingly Confirms Who He Will Be Playing In The Upcoming MINECRAFT Movie

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: SPLINTERED FATE Headed To Nintendo Switch This July

Ubisoft Responds To Backlash Over STAR WARS OUTLAWS Exclusive Season Pass "Jabba's Gambit" Mission

Anime & Manga

MY HERO ACADEMIA Season 7 Countdown Kicks Off With Class 1-A Character Visuals

GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE Returning To Theaters With New 4K Restoration

Crunchyroll Announces Release Date For ONE PIECE Season 14 Voyage 15 English Dub

Horror

TRAP: First Trailer For M. Night Shyamalan's Latest Spoils The Big Twist

IMMACULATE Star Sydney Sweeney Has Been Slammed By A Hollywood Producer: "She's Not Pretty, She Can't Act"

SCREAM VII: Rumored Details On Sidney And Gale's Roles And Ghostface's Targets - SPOILERS

Action Movies & TV

JAMES BOND: Henry Cavill Isn't Closing The Door On Playing 007; "Maybe I'm Too Old Now. Maybe I'm Not..."

Alex Garland's CIVIL WAR Is The #1 Movie In North America- Opens To $25.7M

THE ACCOUNTANT 2 Adds Four More Actors Including JURASSIC WORLD Star Daniella Pineda

Pro Wrestling & MMA News

AEW EVPs Matt And Nick Jackson, The Young Bucks, Have "No Regrets" After Airing ALL IN Footage

Kurt Angle Reflects On What Went Wrong During Final WWE Run: "Fans Could Tell I Was Not The Same Wrestler"

AEW President Tony Khan Believes It "Made A Lot Of Sense" To Air ALL IN Backstage Footage On DYNAMITE

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

FURIOSA: Witness Anya Taylor-Joy As The Wasteland Warrior On New Total Film Covers

REBEL MOON Director Zack Snyder Suggests He Has A Six-Movie Plan For Netflix's Sci-Fi Franchise

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS Director Steven Spielberg Reportedly Planning To Return To Sci-Fi Genre For His Next Movie

REBEL MOON Star Ed Skrein Has A Graphic Alien Sex Scene In R-Rated Extended Cut

KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Star Kevin Durand Reveals New Details About "Narcissistic" Proximus Caesar

DOCTOR WHO Showrunner Russell T Davies Confirms "Timeless Child" Link And Explains Impact Of Bigger Budget

Cartoons & Animated Features