Christian Bale may have officially put his cape and cowl in the closet, but Warner Bros. is hoping the acclaimed actor will suit up one more time.
Insiders are buzzing about who will play the Caped Crusader in director Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel 2. Many reports suggest that Oldboy star Josh Brolin is the current favorite to tackle the role. However, recent rumors claim Warner Bros. is interested in bringing Bale back into the fold.
According to the new eBook Beyond Batman: The Unauthorized True Story of Christian Bale and His Dark Knight Dilemma, author Vince Russel suggests that Christian Bale was offered $50 million to play Batman one more time. That would be a hard deal for anyone to turn down.
Russel suggests that Bale needs Batman as much as Batman needs Bale. While that remains to be seen, having a hefty paycheck dangled in front of your face would make anyone reconsider their decision.
Is there any truth to these rumors? It’s hard to tell at this point. With so many rumors about Man of Steel 2 floating around at the moment, separating fact from fiction is becoming increasingly difficult. However, there’s no reason not to believe that the studio wants Bale to return to the franchise.
Here’s how Russel described the situation in his new book:
As the bat signal still glimmers with fervor above Bale’s Hollywood marquee, Christian Bale’s experience as the Batman of our generation is about to prove more inescapable than he expected. With three of the most successful Batman films in Hollywood history under his belt, Christian Bale is now facing extraordinary pressure to become The Dark Knight once again.
This isn’t the only Batman-related rumor that’s making the rounds. Action star Scott Adkins, who has appeared in everything from X-Men Origins: Wolverine to The Expendables 2, has reportedly auditioned for the role of Batman . Nothing about this rumor has been confirmed or denied as of this writing.
What do you think about reports that suggest Christian Bale was offered a staggering $50 million to play Batman in Man of Steel 2 ? Would you like to see the actor reprise his role as the Dark Knight?
[Image via Warner Bros. Pictures / Legendary Pictures]