Christian Bale has one condition to return for best live-action Batman actors.

Bale was helped by some amazing villains and ing characters. Chief among them was Heath Ledger's Joker, with the actor delivering one of the most iconic performances in movie history as the Clown Prince of Crime, with Ledger's The Dark Knight role leading to a posthumous Best ing Actor Oscar for the star. With so much talent in the franchise and Nolan's Batman movies being beloved by fans and acclaimed by critics, there has always been a desire for The Dark Knight 4 to happen. Recently, that movie got a hopeful update, and Bale has one condition if he were to return.

The Dark Knight 4 Was Never Planned

It Was Always Planned To Be A Trilogy

Even though it was massively successful, there were never plans for a fourth film following The Dark Knight trilogy. Batman Begins was released only 8 years after Batman & Robin effectively put a close on Batman adaptations for a while. Despite wanting to do a trilogy, there was the approach of one movie at a time for Nolan, especially with the possibility that Batman Begins wouldn't do well because of what came before it.

Batman Begins did fine at the box office, but it helped to restore Batman's movie reputation with the general audiences, leading to the massively successful The Dark Knight just three years later. It was the first superhero film to make $1 billion, and set the stage for an epic grand finale. Four years later, The Dark Knight Rises was released and capped off one of the greatest superhero trilogies of all time.

Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy standing with popcorn and a film reel
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In the age of cinematic universes, storylines and characters tend to keep on long after their own franchises are over, but trilogies were always the popular way to build out a specific franchise. It feels like Nolan didn't want that for his Batman. Instead, he wanted to craft a story with a beginning, middle, and an end, which he did wonderfully with The Dark Knight trilogy. Arguably, the franchise is better off for it, but there are those who would be willing to revisit the world, if everything was just right.

Christian Bale Would Only Return For The Dark Knight 4 On 1 Condition

The Batman Actor Has A Point

Bale's last time as Batman came in 2012's The Dark Knight Rises. The movie gave the perfect ending to his version of Bruce Wayne, who saved Gotham City but was able to escape the cycle of violence in his life, going away to live with Anne Hathaway's Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman, and leaving his life as Batman behind. With such a definitive ending to The Dark Knight trilogy, it would be hard to bring the franchise back; however, Bale has revealed that he would be game to don the Batsuit again on one condition.

If Chris Nolan ever said to himself, 'You know what, I've got another story to tell.' And if he wished to tell that story with me, I'd be in.

For The Dark Knight 4, Bale would return as Batman if Christopher Nolan was involved. Nolan, who recently won the Oscar for Best Director for the first time with Oppenheimer — which starred The Dark Knight trilogy alum Cillian Murphy — was the creative force behind Bale's Batman. As such, the actor told Screen Rant, "If Chris Nolan ever said to himself, 'You know what, I've got another story to tell.' And if he wished to tell that story with me, I'd be in." The actor also revealed that he and Nolan had always planned for just three movies.

Bale's condition for returning as Batman, being that Nolan would also need to come back, is understandable. After all, it was their t effort — and that of the rest of The Dark Knight trilogy's cast and crew — that led to the Batman movies standing not only as some of the best for the character, but also for DC and superhero films as a whole. At 50, Bale could still have one or two good Batman outings in him, and the actor's recent role in Marvel Studios' Thor: Love and Thunder shows he is still open to superhero movies.

What Christopher Nolan & Other Creatives In The Dark Knight Trilogy Have Said About Returning

The Dark Knight 4 Recently Got A Hopeful Update

Bale is not the only one involved in The Dark Knight trilogy to have talked about a possible return for The Dark Knight 4. While not being directly asked about helming The Dark Knight 4, Nolan has made his stance on directing any new superhero movies clear. Speaking to HugoDécrypte, Nolan was asked whether he would want to direct another superhero movie after his Batman trilogy, to which the director bluntly said, "No." Based on Nolan's firm stance regarding the topic and Bale's one condition for a Batman return, The Dark Knight 4 happening is complicated.

However, there is hope at the end of the tunnel for fans of The Dark Knight trilogy. Recently, Jonathan Nolan claimed it would be a dream to return to the Batman franchise. Jonathan, who is Christopher Nolan's brother, worked on all three The Dark Knight trilogy movies as a writer. Jonathan, whose work includes fan-favorite projects like the TV series Westworld and Fallout, could convince his brother to return for another go at the Caped Crusader. Perhaps, even if Christopher Nolan did not return, he could on the Batman torch to Jonathan, and that could get Bale on board.

What The Dark Knight 4 Could Be About

There Are Two Exciting Stories For The Batman Film

The Dark Knight Rises' ending set up possible stories for a fourth movie. At the end of the film, Bruce has retired from his role as Batman and gone to Italy to live with Selina. The Dark Knight 4 could see him return to Gotham. However, this time, Bruce would not be Batman. DC has been trying to get a Batman Beyond live-action adaptation running for some time, and Michael Keaton's version of Batman almost succeeded in doing so. The Dark Knight 4 could be a full-on Batman Beyond adaptation with Bale's older Bruce Wayne mentoring a young Terry McGinnis.

Dark Knight Batman with Hush and Hugo Strange
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Another possible story that could bring back the franchise could happen even if Bale does not return as Bruce Wayne and/or Batman. The Dark Knight 4 could instead focus on the most likely new bearer of the mantle after the events of The Dark Knight Rises. At the end of the film, it was revealed that the full name of Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character was Robin John Blake. That clear nod to DC's Robin and the fact Blake found the Batcave point to him being Bruce's natural successor as Batman and the possible lead of The Dark Knight 4.

Will The Dark Knight 4 Ever Happen?

There Is A Demand For The DC Movie

Based on Nolan's lack of desire to direct another superhero movie and how Bale would only return as Batman if the director signed on, The Dark Knight 4 is unlikely. Jonathan Nolan's new comment and the fact that the Batman universe could continue with a new Dark Knight makes the new movie possible even if Bale and Nolan were not to return. However, at that point, it would be a hard ask to get fans to care about The Dark Knight 4 if the lead actor and director who made the DC franchise so iconic were no longer present.

With the new DCU developing, The Dark Knight 4 logically would only happen as an Elseworlds project.

Adding to that, there are already too many live-action Batmen to add another to the table. Robert Pattinson's Bruce Wayne will continue in his standalone The Batman universe under director Matt Reeves. At the same time, James Gunn's DC Universe will introduce a new actor as Bruce Wayne. The DCU's Batman will debut in The Brave and the Bold movie. With two live-action movie franchises for Batman, The Dark Knight 4's chances of happening are minimal.

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Source: HugoDécrypte