Should Bale's Batman Rise Again?

                                                                              
Ever since news broke about Batman and Superman sharing the screen in the MOS sequel (whatever the title will be), rumors of who might play the Caped Crusader alongside Henry Cavill have run rampant.  At this point, all of them are rumors are most are pretty ridiculous.  It seems everyone wants to weigh in on who the next Batman might be.  I heard Warner Bros. offered Christian Bale $50 million to return, although Bale seemed to make it clear he had no desire to play The Dark Knight again.  Of course, it's easy to be confused with all the misinformation swirling around these days and as we all know, Hollywood enjoys surprising us and since Nolan is going to be an executive producer on MOS 2, it's a good bet they'll be some big surprises in store.  It's still far too early to tell who's going to be donning the cowl once all the smoke clears.    
When I first heard that Bats would be in the sequel, I had a hard time imagining anyone else but Bale underneath the cowl.  Regardless of the mixed feelings fans might have towards his portrayal, he's become synonymous with Batman, putting his own indelible stamp on the character.  I enjoyed Bale's performance so much that I desperately wished for a way that his Batman could come back to appear alongside Cavill.  The more I thought of it though, the more I realized that it was probably best to start fresh with a new Batman.  The problem is the timing doesn't work between Bale's Batman and Cavill's Superman.  Bale's already gone through a whole crime-fighting career and retired (after having his back broken and being stabbed for probably the third time) whereas Superman's just revealed himself to the world.  For Superman to be just starting out in a world that already saw Batman come and go feels out of whack.  I feel that Superman and Batman should be about the same age, but Bale's Batman is at least in his early 40's by Dark Knight Rises, whereas Cavill's Superman is only 33.  After everything Bale's Bats went through, culminating in his decision to fake his death and enjoy some much deserved R&R with Selina Kyle, it'd be hard to imagine him coming back just like that.  Nolan's Batman films were meant to standalone in a realistic world devoid of any super-powered heroes or villains.  Having said that though, if Bale was younger and the trilogy hadn't already been made (hard as that is to imagine), Bale's Batman would fit almost perfectly into the world of Man of Steel.  If Bale had only done Batman Begins so far, then the timing would be perfect for him and Supes to meet in MOS 2 since each character would have one film under their belts.  I for one feel that Bale and Cavill would work well off each other and highlight the radical differences in their character's methods and world outlooks.                



Could a $50 million siren song be enough to lure Bale back to the Batcave?

If Bale's Bats returned, one nagging question would be where was Clark Kent when Bane's army occupied Gotham for five months?  You could argue that he was in remote parts of the world searching for answers to his origins, but even he couldn't miss the news and something that significant would certainly get his attention.  Even though in MOS it took an alien invasion for Clark to take a leap of faith and reveal himself, it's hard to imagine he could be out there and not try to do something during Bane's occupation.  There's no doubt that Bale's Batman was a badass, but after all the damage he sustained in three films, (especially getting his back broken), how much more can he really endure?  It's hard to imagine him suiting up again to battle whoever the villains might be in MOS 2 and the proposed Justice League film, especially if we're talking villain's like Darkseid or Brainiac.   Much as I hate to say it, the timing just isn't right for Bale's Batman to return.  In MOS, Superman's positioned to be the world's first Superhero; his presence helps usher in other heroes such as Green Lantern, Flash, Wonder Woman and yes, Batman.  Since Supes was the first comic book superhero, appearing in 1938 followed a year later by Batman, it makes sense that he should appear first in the world within the comics, inspiring other heroes to reveal themselves and take action.  Therefore, it makes sense that Batman should also just be starting his career when Superman reveals himself to the world.  I like to think that Batman is just returning from years of training abroad when Superman appears and upon arriving back in Gotham, Bruce hears all kinds of news about this alien in the red cape based in Metropolis.        Superman and Batman on screen together is the comic book equivalent of The Beatles having played a concert with Bob Dylan or The Stones.  Supes and Bats are the most iconic superheroes of all time and that's why news of their eventual meet up triggered an explosion of excitement.  Due to the hype and anticipation, finding someone new to play Batman is going to be next to impossible.  So far the names tossed around have been ridiculous if you ask me.  Ryan Gosling, Bradley Copper, Michael Fassbender and worst of all, Orlando Bloom have all been mentioned.  Granted these are just rumors, but the fact that people are pulling for some of these actors is worrying.  It's not that they're not good actors, but it's not simply about being a good actor; they have to be able to convey an emotional intensity and edginess to bring the Dark Knight to life again.  Like Bale, they have to get under the skin of the character and clearly show his motivations for doing what he does.  I don't think it's a good idea to cast a big name either, which includes just about each of those actors mentioned.  Bale wasn't that well known before Batman Begins, but he did play serial killer Patrick Bateman in American Psycho and obviously can handle darker roles.  Bale disappeared into the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman and convincingly conveyed the deep pain and frustration that Wayne channels into the Batman persona which he unleashes onto a crime ridden city. 
The good thing about having a relatively unknown actor play such universally recognized characters such as Bats or Supes is that when people see them, they see only the character and not the actor.  This is why when the majority of people picture Superman, their brain's default setting is probably Chris Reeve.  He embodied the look and spirit of Superman because he wasn't associated with any other big roles and therefore didn't overshadow the character.  If Robert Redford or another mega star had played the part, you'd see more of Redford than you would Superman.  This is one of the many reasons why Cavill worked so well for Superman; he's relatively unknown to mainstream America and therefore completely became Superman when the audience saw him.  Not that a famous actor can't successfully play a superhero (Robert Downey Jr.), but with characters as iconic as Supes and Bats, it helps to have less familiar faces who can still convey the essence of these guys.  Ultimately, I have faith that Snyder and Goyer will find an actor capable of embodying all the essential qualities that make Batman such an archetypal character and make him the ideal foil for the Man of Steel.