There are so many Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice fan theories out there that it’s easy for you to lose track of them all. I have to admit that the recent speculation that Ben Affleck wasn’t actually playing Batman, and that Christian Bale would instead be appearing as the Caped Crusader, had slipped right by me. Which is probably a good thing, because Christian Bale has now come out and instantly dismissed it.
The Oscar-winning actor was asked by Entertainment Tonight whether this bizarre and immediately recognizably false rumor was actually true at the premiere for The Big Short on Thursday evening. Bale rather adamantly insisted after being caught up with the speculation …
I haven’t heard that. This is the first I’ve heard of it. I think it’s pretty clear that Ben [Affleck] is playing Batman now.
But maybe Christian Bale is actually lying and he is in fact – No, he’s not. He’s definitely not playing Batman. He’s finished being Batman. And it really wouldn’t make much sense if he did appear as Batman ever again. Well, except for the fact that he would be paid an inordinate amount – probably even Robert Downey Jr. money - by Warner Bros. to return.
But could Christian Bale still be playing Bruce Wayne? Think about it. Maybe Ben Affleck’s version of Batman isn’t actually Bruce Wayne and Christian Bale, who appeared in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy as the billionaire orphan, would also appear at some point in Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice to create a formidable tag-team duo? No. It’s still not true. In fact when Christian Bale was asked whether he might be playing Bruce Wayne once again, he emphatically declared, "No, it’s not happening."
How did this speculation amass? Well, the theory suggests that in Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice, Ben Affleck isn’t Bruce Wayne – he’s just the man who took over the role of Batman after Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne retired from crime fighting at the end of The Dark Knight Rises. Don’t remember? Check it out again below.
Then, at some point in Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice, Christian Bale would turn up as the real Bruce Wayne, and he would then go on to take over the responsibility of Batman. There’s enough in there to make this fan theory gain momentum, as Warner Bros. would love to have merged Christopher Nolan’s hugely successful Dark Knight trilogy with their DC Cinematic Universe, which started with Man Of Steel.
But unless Warner Bros. are about to unleash the biggest surprise in cinematic history on us, then it’s just not going to happen. So really, stop asking Christian Bale about it. Because why the fuck would Ben Affleck have signed on to star as Batman if he knew that he’d end up playing Christian Bale’s understudy? This fan theory will be proved false once and for all once Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice is released on March 25, 2016.
