Why Zack Snyder’s BvS Didn’t Use Christian Bale’s Dark Knight as DCEU Batman

Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder once toyed with the idea of incorporating Christian Bale’s Batman from the former’s The Dark Knight trilogy into the DCEU for Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. However, they abandoned the idea before it could properly materialize. Now, in a recent interview, Snyder touched upon the concept. He revealed that it would have been seriously considered had The Dark Knight Rises ended differently.

The Dark Knight Rises’ ending stopped Zack Snyder from casting Christian Bale as Batman

The Rebel Moon filmmaker recently sat down for an interview, highlighting 10 years of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.

During the Happy Sad Confused podcast, host Josh Horowitz reminded Zack Snyder of their conversation from years ago. There, the filmmaker revealed he and Christopher Nolan once discussed connecting the latter’s The Dark Knight Trilogy with the DCEU and having Christian Bale reprise Batman in Batman v. Superman before abandoning the idea.

Snyder noted that had The Dark Knight Rises ended with Bale’s Batman continuing his crimefighting career instead of retiring and moving to Italy with Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Anne Hathaway), both universes could have merged. “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, then there’s a that that’s a serious conversation there,” he shared. “If he’s not in Italy, retired, drinking wine and relaxing. If he’s a current crime fighter, then I think those universes could have mixed.”

The Watchmen director also speculated that if Nolan saw potential in the idea, the filmmaker would have pursued it differently. However, Snyder clarified that he wasn’t certain about this and that he and Nolan never discussed it.

In the previous appearance on the podcast, Zack Snyder first discussed the idea. He pointed to The Dark Knight Rises’ ending — where John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) takes over the Batman mantle from Bruce Wayne — as the reason it didn’t work out.

The veteran filmmaker also acknowledged that it would have “complicated things” as fans wanted to see Bruce Wayne’s version of Batman fight Superman and not Blake’s (via The Hollywood Reporter). However, he said that it “could have been cool” to see Blake’s Batman go up against Superman.

Originally reported by Abdul Azim Naushad on SuperHeroHype.

Source: Comingsoon.net