Until
Man of Steel is released, we have no idea whether or not that will be the beginning of a shared universe for Warner Bros. and their stable of DC Comics superheroes. Many fans expected that 2011's
Green Lantern would be the start of exactly that (especially with rumours of a cameo for Clark Kent) but no such luck. Meanwhile, Christopher Nolan's Batman universe (affectionately termed the "Nolanverse") has always stood by itself. Arguably, this makes the most sense, especially as it's nearly impossible to imagine Ryan Reynolds' Hal Jordan appearing in this version of Gotham City. However, does it mean that Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne/Batman couldn't and shouldn't have a role in the planned
Justice League movie? Of course, to some extent, this will ultimately depend on whether or not Nolan really does end up killing off the Caped Crusader in the third and final instalment of his trilogy, but if he does survive, I for one see no reason why he can't still appear in the team-up, despite how unlikely it may seem.
Why is it unlikely? Well, Bale has repeatedly said in the past that he wouldn't return for a fourth Batman movie without Nolan. However,
Justice League ISN'T one, and would come with what one can only imagine would be a pretty massive pay cheque. With the right creative talent involved (Bale is a hell of an actor, but not exactly immune to being tempted into blockbuster fare such as
Terminator Salvation) there's no reason why the Welsh actor wouldn't at least consider getting back into the cowl for a film which would have no trouble being equally as big, if not bigger than,
Marvel's The Avengers. Unfortunately, there are many other factors to take into account which make this hard to imagine happening. If
Man of Steel is indeed the first film to feature a shared universe, Warner Bros. will more than likely want to reboot Batman, and bringing back an actor who refuses to appear in another solo film isn't the best of situations for them. On the other hand, bringing back the star of a billion dollar franchise for
Justice League would be a huge draw, especially if Henry Cavill impresses audiences next year (meaning they could then fill out the cast with lesser known actors for characters like Aquaman and Wonder Woman before giving them their own solo movies).
While the "Bat-voice" may not be to everyone's tastes, Bale has been an incredible Batman, so it's hard to NOT want to see his version of the iconic superhero as part of
Justice League. Yes, there are many other actors out there who could play the character, and it would make a lot of sense in the respect that it would lead into a new series of Batman films. The thing is, Warner Bros. don't seem to be anywhere near as on the ball as Marvel Studios are when it comes to this whole shared universe thing. For that reason, who's to say that they won't make a
Justice League which stands separately from the solo movies? When you start thinking about it like that though, it gets far too confusing, especially for the regular movie-goer. The fact is that at this point, a
Justice League movie still feels like a very, VERY long way away. There are a lot of factors which may end up influencing whether it's possible for Bale to be a part of the film, but hopefully they can find a way of making it work. You know what would be an even better idea? A Christian Bale/Henry Cavill Batman/Superman team-up which itself is completely separate from
Justice League. A fan can dream, eh?
So, these are just some of the reasons why Christian Bale's return as Batman in
Justice League may or many not work, but what do you guys think? Sound off with your thoughts below and stay tuned to CBM over the next couple of weeks for more interview with the actor (hopefully SOMEONE will ask the actor whether he would actually like to be a part of
Justice League).