Christian Bale almost made his DC film debut years before Batman begins

Christian Bale has reinvented Bruce Wayne and his cape character for a newer generation Batman begins, But the Oscar winner was about to play the role of another typical DC hero. While Bale became known as a child star in films like Steven Spielberg's Empire of the SunIn the late 1990s and early 2000s, the English actor took on challenging and varied roles. About the role of a gentle music journalist in the glam rock classic Velvet gold mine to the ruthless namesake of American psychoEven before he was cast in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, Bale was a critical heartthrob.

The Ford vs Ferrari Star debuted as Batman in 2005's Batman Begins, but he was offered another superhero opportunity a few years earlier, but the ambitious DC film was ultimately canceled. Still, it's a good thing that this hypothetical scenario never came to fruition, as it might have prevented Bale from being cast as the caped crusader. Compared to other live-action Batman actors, Bale's version stands out for his distinctly rough Batman voice and emotionally complex psyche. The way Bale humanized Gotham City's vigilantes may have long ago been reflected by another hero closely associated with Batman.

Christian Bale was almost Superman before his Batman casting

Bale was interested in playing the Man of Steel in an early 2000s Batman/Superman film

The late German director Wolfgang Petersen broke out with his claustrophobic submarine drama The boat. But the two-time Oscar nominee also had a knack for directing big-budget spectacles like the never ending Story And Troy. In 2003, Wolfgang Petersen was commissioned to direct Batman vs Superman Film with Christian Bale as Superman. The filmmaker revealed this behind-the-scenes detail in a 2010 interview with MTV, The addition Josh Hartnett was the second candidate be considered as the role of Kryptonian hero. Unfortunately, The project never saw the light of day and JJ Abrams was instrumental in the film's cancellation.

While Petersen staged a cinematic duel between Batman and Superman in 2015 long before Zack Snyder, Warner Bros. instead prioritized a solo Superman film with a new actor. The plan was to pick up JJ Abrams' early script Superman returns. Titled Superman: FlybyThe script drastically rewrote the character's origins and the project was recast as Bryan Singer's Superman returns instead. Petersen gave up hope on Bale's Superman moment, but had nothing but praise for his later Batman era. He even told me about it MTV how he believed Bale's second Batman appearance, The dark knight, deserves an Oscar for Best Picture.

How Christian Bale's Superman role would have changed DC's film landscape

Batman Vs Superman: Asylum could have spawned a DCEU-like franchise

In the early 2000s, DC only had one misfire like “Catwoman” and showcased projects like Tim Burton's “Superman” film. Christopher Reeve was no longer the glorious Superman of the 80s and Joel Schumacher had turned Batman into a comedic figure in the 90s. In this context, Christian Bale's Batman vs. Superman film would have spawned a new, interconnected franchise similar to the DCEU films that came later. Titled Batman vs Superman: AsylumPetersen's project was also driven by a dark story that would have humanized the titular heroes in a similar way that Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight films eventually achieved.

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Screenwriter Akiva Goldsman narrated Collider that the project eventually hired Colin Farrell as Batman and Jude Law as Superman. The script was roughly about a retired Batman taking violent revenge on the Joker and Lex Luthor for the murder of his wife. Since Superman was convinced that Batman was not a murderer, he intervened for a fairer solution and a duel broke out between the two heroes. Regardless of whether Bale, Harnett or Law played Superman, the canceled project could have made mainstream superhero cinema darker than usual, and early to mid-2000s DC wouldn't have had to rely on sporadic individual releases Catwoman And Constantine.

Why Christian Bale is better as Batman than Superman

The actor humanized Batman in the cinema like never before

The fact that Christian Bale wasn't nominated for the role of Superman and Wolfgang Petersen didn't secure funding from Warner Bros. were a blessing for fans Batman begins. The 2005 film allowed Bale to recapture his brooding intensity from previous roles such as: The mechanic And balance but this time as a costumed superhero. His down-to-earth take on Batman also reflected Bale's impressive talent for physical transformation as he significantly stepped up his game for the film's fight sequences. A supporting role for Superman in an otherwise Batman-centric project like asylum wouldn't have established him as a bankable leading man How Batman begins did.

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The Batman vs Superman After the film's cancellation, Bale was able to prove that he is the perfect Batman. Under the skillful direction of Christopher Nolan and accompanied by actors such as Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman, Bale was given more space to explore the fragile side of theater Direct current Hero. The haunting impact of his parents' murder, the fear of not saving Gotham, and his journey of self-discovery made Bale's performance a success Batman begins much more human than previous iterations. This fragility was only further investigated The Dark Knight And The Dark Knight riseswhich shows why Bale was perfect for portraying Batman.

Batman begins

Release date

June 10, 2005

Studio(s)

Warner Bros. Pictures

Pour

Ken Watanabe, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman, Tom Wilkinson, Linus Roache, Christian Bale, Katie Holmes, Mark Boone Junior, Michael Caine, Rutger Hauer, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman