In the Dark Knight trilogy, it’s clearly established that Batman is the lone hero operating in this particular world, but that didn’t stop fans from dreaming about Christian Bale’s Caped Crusader interacting with other DC titans. While Christopher Nolan’s series was ongoing, the Marvel Cinematic Universe launched, popularizing the concept of the shared cinematic universe and setting a precedent for superhero crossovers. Though the MCU was in full swing by the time The Dark Knight Rises arrived in 2012, Batman remained the only hero. It wasn’t until after Nolan’s trilogy concluded that DC got in the shared universe business, with Ben Affleck taking over as the new Batman. But if things had gone differently, there might have been a way to integrate Bale into the DC Extended Universe.
During an appearance on the podcast Happy Sad Confused, Zack Snyder addressed the topic of having Bale’s Batman crossover with Henry Cavill’s Superman. According to him, it could have been a “serious conversation” if Bruce Wayne didn’t retire at the end of The Dark Knight Rises. “Though I love that concept [John Blake taking over the Batman mantle] … I don’t think it was for me to flesh that out. I think if Bale had stayed, if it had ended with Christian Bale standing on a building overlooking Gotham silhouetted by the lights of Gotham, that’s a serious conversation,” he said. “He’s not in Italy retired, drinking wine and relaxing. If he is a current crimefighter, then I think then those universes could have mixed. And maybe if Chris had really thought that was a potential thing, he might have looked at it differently, but I don’t know that. We never really talked about it.”
Keeping Christian Bale’s Batman Separate Was the Right Move
Based on Nolan’s approach for the Dark Knight trilogy, it’s reasonable to assume that he was not concerned with setting the stage for shared universe crossovers down the line. He was always most interested in telling stories about Bruce Wayne, using the character as a means to explore compelling themes like fear, chaos, and pain. At the crux of the overarching narrative is one man’s quest to save the city he loves, becoming a symbol that inspires others to do the right thing. One of the reasons why The Dark Knight Rises is viewed as a Batman masterpiece is because it wraps that story up in a very satisfying way.
After watching Bale’s Bruce Wayne endure everything he went through, it was fulfilling to see him finally be at peace and enjoying life. He had accomplished the mission he set out on at the start of Batman Begins, trusting Gotham was in good hands with Commissioner Gordon and John Blake leading the charge against any new villains who might pop up. Considering how successful the Dark Knight trilogy was, Warner Bros. probably would have been interested in making it part of the DCEU, but at that point, Nolan also had the necessary clout to end his series on his terms, so the studio gave him the creative freedom to definitively tell his story before moving on.
As cool as it might have been to see Bale and Cavill opposite each other, bringing those two together would have boxed Snyder in during development of his DCEU movies. He would have had to adhere to the canon established in Nolan’s films as opposed to crafting new iterations of certain characters to best fit the narrative he wanted to tell. Part of the appeal of superhero media is that the characters are constantly evolving and being reinvented, so it made more sense to reboot Batman with a different actor, allowing Snyder to depict a jaded, cynical Bruce Wayne who was at the end of his rope before Superman restored his faith in humanity. Affleck’s Batman went through experiences distinct from Bale’s to shape his worldview, including losing Robin in the field.
The DCEU was marred by mixed reception to most of its films and turmoil behind-the-scenes, but it’s still safe to say things worked out well on the Batman front. Despite initial backlash to the casting announcement, Affleck proved to be a great fit for the role, leaving a memorable impression on fans in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. One of the biggest missed opportunities of the franchise is that Affleck never got a chance to headline his own solo Batman film. As for Bale, the legacy of the Dark Knight trilogy remains intact as one of the most influential film series of a generation.
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