There will always be a debate on who was the best live-action ‘Batman,’ but it is hard to argue that Christian Bale as Batman wasn’t an iconic one. Now, the actor is sharing why director Christopher Nolan didn’t return for a fourth movie which is something Warner Bros. had hoped would happen. Yes, “The Dark Knight” trilogy did end on a weaker note but even with that in mind, it was one of the most successful takes of the character to date financially, which is why the studio most likely wanted another outing with the character.
Nolan always wanted ‘The Dark Knight’ films it to be a trilogy but also never felt safe that they would have a chance to make a sequel let alone three films. According to Bale:
“We knew we had to reinvent it. I literally had people laugh at me when I told them we were doing a new kind of Batman. I think that the reason it worked was first and foremost Chris’ take on it. But also we never were arrogant to assume that we had an opportunity beyond one film at a time. That’s something that Chris always would talk about. He’d say, “This is it. We’re making one film. That’s all we’ve got.”
What many might not know is that the studio was hoping that the pair might return for a fourth movie after the success of the first three. However, the actor wasn’t willing to come back if Nolan wasn’t in the director’s chair:
“Then 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. That’s why we, well, Chris, stepped away. After that, I was informed my services were no longer required (laughs).”
With Bale’s take on Batman having come to an end, Warner Bros. would move on to bring us ‘Man of Steel’ and Zack Snyder’s take on the DC Universe. Ben Affleck has already come and gone in the role as The Caped Crusader, and now it’s Robert Pattinson who will don the mask in ‘The Batman‘ for director Matt Reeves.
Do you wish Christopher Nolan directed a fourth Batman film? Would you have wanted to see Christian Bale back in the suit with a different director? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Source: Heroic Hollywood
