Christian Bale says he is jealous that Ben Affleck is playing Batman

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

The roster of actors who have played Batman on the big screen is a short one. Christian Bale knocked it out of the park as the Caped Crusader in Christopher Nolan's trilogy to the point that there were rumors Bale was a candidate for the role once again in Zack Snyder's BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE. While that part eventually went to Ben Affleck, fans still clamored over the potential of having Nolan's Dark Knight in the shared DC Cinematic Universe.

We are well into production on Snyder's follow-up to MAN OF STEEL and Bale has moved on to other projects like playing Moses in EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS, but in a recent interview he shared that he still thought about the casting of Affleck for quite some time.

“I’ve got to admit initially, even though I felt that it was the right time to stop, there was always a bit of me going, ‘Oh go on… Let’s do another.’ So when I heard there was someone else doing it, there was a moment where I just stopped and stared into nothing for half an hour.”

“But I’m 40. The fact that I’m jealous of someone else playing Batman…I think I should have gotten over it by now. I haven’t spoken with Ben, but I emailed him offering bits of advice that I learned the hard way. I would imagine he is doing everything he can to avoid anything that I did.”

I never thought Bale would reprise the role a fourth time, but it is nice to know he didn't treat the iconic character as a paycheck and truly cares about the legacy of Batman after the mantle has been passed to Affleck.  Here's hoping that someday we get a reunion of all the actors who have played Bruce Wayne and his alter ego and hear what they have to say about the part.

BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE opens on March 25, 2016.