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Christian Bale’s impressive filmography boasts of a wide range of characters from psychotic killers to DC’s most celebrated superhero, Batman. Known famously for pushing his physical and emotional limits to the extreme for roles in films likeThe MachinistandThe Fighter, Bale has proved that he is one of the most versatile artists in Hollywood.
With charismatic looks to match, the British star was naturally considered as one of the ideal choices to play James Bond after Pierce Brosnan’s contract came to an end. The character who has traditionally been reserved for British actors, was surprisingly rejected by Bale who had problems with it for propagating British stereotypes.
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Why Christian Bale Wanted Nothing To Do With James Bond
Ian Fleming’s slick secret agentJames Bondhas been immortalized on screen by various actors over the years from Roger Moore toDaniel Craig. While Craig’s edgier and more relatable version of the character appealed to audiences, the star was not the first choice to play the part.
Producer Barbara Broccoli who had a vast pool of actors to choose from, had initially set her sights onChristian Baleto take over from Pierce Brosnan and approached him with the offer. Bale, though, refused to come on board and elaborated toThe Daily Expresson his surprising reasons.
“James Bond was every despicable stereotype about England and British actors. I already played a serial killer”.
TheBatman Beginsactor comparing Bond to his maniacal character inAmerican Psychois quite a controversial statement. To put his words into context, the 007 spy has also indirectly propagated ideals of male chauvinism and misogyny that Bale could have been referring to as a stereotype that he would want to avoid.
In addition, there have been a few other actors who have rejected the role for similar reasons that further reiterateThe Prestigestar’s stance. Richard Burton, who was offered the role even before Sean Connery, is said to have given it up as he reportedly had issues with James Bond being a womanizing spy.
Michael Caine too believed that James Bond’s role lent itself to a very stereotypical British notion of masculinity. The veteran in a statement in 2018 that appeared inThe Daily Express, said,
“I was always much more ordinary. Bond was a glamorous, imaginative creation. I’ve always played real people.”
With many seasoned actors having had issues with the characterization of James Bond, Christian Bale’s reasoning behind turning down the role of the iconic secret agent can be understood a bit better.
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Christian Bale Was Discouraged From DoingBatman Begins
While Christian Bale has no regrets turning down the role of James Bond, the actor would probably have kicked himself for refusing to play Batman in Christopher Nolan’sThe Dark KnightTrilogy.The films paved the way for a gritty, dark, and more complex superhero whose flaws became his greatest strength. The role though, almost slipped out of the actor’s grasp.
Bale who played Bruce Wayne aka Batman in all three films, spoke about the impact of Nolan’s filmmaking and his unique superhero perspective that created a new wave for the genre. But not everyone was equally impressed by what the director was doing. Bale in an interview withThe Washington Post,confessed that he was discouraged by many people to doBatman Begins.
I would [tell people] we’re going to sort of do Batman, but take him seriously. I had tons of people laugh at me and just say, ‘Well, that’s just not going to work at all.’ It’s wonderful to be a part of a trilogy that proved those people wrong,”
TheAmerican Psychoactor went on to say that he was fortunate to have disregarded these comments which allowed him to be part of a historic project. Bale also elaborated on the influence of Christopher Nolan and the trilogy in planting the seed of thought in franchises like Marvel to ultimately create the MCU.
Sharanya Sankar
Senior Writer
Articles Published :1230
Sharanya Sankar, Writer for FandomwireHaving completed her Masters degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, Sharanya has a solid foundation in writing which is also one of her passions. She has worked previously with Book My show for a couple of years where she gained experience reviewing films and writing feature articles. Sharanya’s articles on film and pop culture have also been published on Film Companion, a popular film-based website. Apart from movies and pop culture, her interests include music and sports. She has contributed over 650 articles to Fandomwire so far.
