Christian Bale is a chameleon. That’s not new. We’ve seen him go from The Machinist’s walking skeleton to Batman Begins’ shredded vigilante physique over a long weekend. But his new look in David O. Russell’s upcoming film, Madden, is something else entirely. More importantly, it might just be the push we need to finally get that long-rumoured Batman Beyond movie off the ground.
Photos from the Madden set show Christian Bale in full transformation mode again. Here he has slicked-back hair, bleached eyebrows, ‘80s sideburns, and a wardrobe that screams “NFL mob boss.” He’s playing legendary Raiders owner Al Davis, opposite Nicolas Cage, who’s wearing a fatsuit to play John Madden. This could be the most targeted Oscar campaign of all time.
But fans are noticing something else completely: Bale, in this new look, absolutely looks like he could play an older, grizzled Bruce Wayne in a live-action Batman Beyond movie.
Fans have been begging Warner Bros. to make a Batman Beyond movie for years now. And it’s really not that hard to see why. The original animated series had one of the best Batman stories. Plus, it included futuristic cars, cyberpunk aesthetics, and neon lights. Given all the sci-fi elements, a film adaptation has the potential to be one of the most original superhero movies ever made, especially in the hands of a director like Denis Villeneuve or even, dare we say it, Zack Snyder.
While everyone has their favorites to play Terry McGinnis, the big question has always been who should play the aging Bruce Wayne. Michael Keaton has been the frontrunner, especially after his multiverse role in The Flash. George Clooney’s name has floated around too, though that feels more meme than dream. And let’s be real, Val Kilmer would’ve been incredible, but with his passing, that door’s sadly closed.
But now? Christian Bale’s right there. Right in front of us. Still capable of growing out the Batman voice. And judging by his Madden look, still totally able to rock a grumpy, silver fox version of Bruce Wayne. Give him some muscle and a futuristic Batcave, and it’s game on.
Back in 2013, long-time Batman producer Michael Uslan said at a panel: “Now if I could put my ‘fanboy hat’ on, not my ‘producer hat’… how cool would it be to see a Batman Beyond movie? Bruce Wayne in his 80s training a young Batman. And how cool would it be to see Clint Eastwood as Bruce Wayne?”
If James Gunn is serious about DC Elseworlds being a space for one-off, alternate universe stories (like Joker or The Batman), then Batman Beyond is the perfect fit.
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