In a few weeks we’ll officially see our new Batman in action, Ben Affleck. The role has been passed on through a variety of star actors, but for us young adults who have been most engaged in hero cinema for the past decade, Christian Bale is the most prominent Batman we know. He maintained the role for longer than any of his predecessors on the big screen, starring as Bruce Wayne in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy.
Talking to Yahoo Movies, Bale gives his stamp of approval for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, saying “it looks great” and he looks forward to seeing it:
“I think they’ve done a bloody good job,” he said. “I don’t know that I’ll go see it in the movie theaters, but I’ll certainly see it.” He also mentioned that his 18-month-old son, Joseph, “really likes watching the trailers online.”
It’s interesting that Bale’s son will grow up identifying Ben Affleck with the caped crusader and not his own father. By the time he grows up, Bale will be an afterthought as Batman. Bale recently discussed his own performance as Batman with Yahoo:
“I didn’t quite manage what I hoped I would throughout the trilogy,” Bale told Yahoo Movies (watch above). “Chris did, but my own sense of self is like, ‘I didn’t quite nail it.’”
“Heath turned up, and just kind of completely ruined all my plans,” Bale said. ‘Because I went, ‘He’s so much more interesting than me and what I’m doing.’“
Bale was of course referring to Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight.
No matter the critique from Bale or anyone else, he helped Christopher Nolan make history in rekindling the Batman. Ben Affleck is getting ready to make a different kind of history in Batman v Superman, the first time we’ll see Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent in the same space on the big screen. It won’t take long before fans start comparing Affleck’s Batman to Bale’s.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hits theaters on March 25.
