The Flash is out in cinemas now and it features a universe-bending plot involving Michael Keaton’s Batman, Supergirl and other glorious DC cameos. One notable cameo that was absent from the movie was Christian Bale’s Batman, who portrayed the character in Christopher Nolan’s acclaimed Dark Knight trilogy. According to Kevin Smith, Christian Bale was approached “for months and months” by Warner Bros to reprise his role and make a cameo but the actor turned it down.
Before we proceed, there will be SPOILERS discussed from here on out for The Flash. If you haven’t seen the movie and don’t want to be spoiled of its ending, we recommend you don’t continue reading. Otherwise, if you’ve already watched the movie or don’t care about spoilers, welcome.
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Smith recently posted a TikTok where he revealed that Warner Bros attempted for several months to get Christian Bale to cameo as Batman at the end of The Flash but Bale turned down the offer. “Warner Bros. asked Christian Bale for months and months hoping he would break down and he was like ‘no,'” said Smith. “So [Warner Bros.] was like, ‘let’s pivot, let’s get another Batman,’ and they just grabbed George Clooney.”
The Flash mainly features Keaton’s Batman as well as Ben Affleck’s reprisal of the caped crusader but it also has a surprise cameo from another Batman in the end of the movie: George Clooney. After Barry Allen seemingly destroys the space-time continuum, all seems fine until he gets a visit from Bruce Wayne. Instead of Affleck, Clooney appears. According to Comic Book Movie, Warner Bros really wanted Bale to cameo in this scene but the studio couldn’t get the actor to return, so they got Clooney instead.
Bale already stated before that he wouldn’t return as Batman unless Christopher Nolan was involved. “If Chris [Nolan] came to me and said, ‘I’ve got a new story,’ I’d be interested. But other than that, I don’t think so,” said the actor in a previous interview with Inverse.
George Clooney portrayed Bruce Wayne/Batman in the critically panned 1997 movie, Batman & Robin.
Source: Kevin Smith
