Warner Bros.
Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice director Zack Snyder believes there could have been a version of the DC Extended Universe where Christian Bale continued on as Batman following the end of The Dark Knight trilogy.
During a recent appearance interview Josh Horowitz, Zack Snyder said that if The Dark Knight Rises — what ultimately proved to be Christian Bale’s final Batman film — had ended on a different note, the door may have been open for Bale to remain in the role as DC transitioned into a shared universe.
The Academy Award-winning Bale starred as Bruce Wayne in Christopher Nolan’s trilogy of Batman movies — Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises — from 2005 to 2012, which famously ended with the character seemingly retiring and moving on from the mantle of Batmn to start a new life.
Zack Snyder says Christian Bale could have been Batman in the DCEU if The Dark Knight Rises had ended differently
“I think if Bale had stayed, if [The Dark Knight Rises] had ended with Christian Bale standing on a building overlooking Gotham… then that’s a serious conversation,” Snyder said.
Bale was ultimately succeeded by Ben Affleck as the Caped Crusader in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, launching the DCEU’s version of the character opposite Henry Cavill’s Superman, and then reprised the role in Suicide Squad, Justice Leagueand The Flash.
Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy was not connected to the DCEU, which began with Man of Steel in 2013. However, Snyder’s comments suggest that, under different creative circumstances, there may have been internal discussions about maintaining continuity with Bale’s version of the character.
Bale has previously said he would only return to the role of Batman if Christopher Nolan was involved. Nolan did serve as a producer on 2013’s Man of Steel.
The DCEU has since undergone a reboot under new DC Studios leader James Gunn, with the franchise being officially rebooted with the release of Superman last summer. Separately, Matt Reeves’ The Batman: Part II is slated to begin production this year ahead of a scheduled Fall 2027 release.