Christian Bale opens up about the differences between working with Christopher Nolan and Taika Waititi. The actor is set to join the MCU in Thor: Love and Thunder, playing Gorr the God Butcher and squaring off with Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder. Bale is no stranger to the comic book movie world, though, and in the mid-2000s played Bruce Wayne/Batman in Warner Bros.' Batman Begins from Nolan. He reprised the role twice more in The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises.
The second installment of the so-called Dark Knight trilogy was released in 2008, the same year the MCU launched through Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man. Years since he wrapped up his stint as the Caped Crusader, however, Bale returns to the superhero sandbox, this time in the MCU and as a villain. Now that he has worked for both DC and Marvel, the actor breaks down the main differences between his experiences.
Talking with Rotten Tomatoes, Bale compares what it was like working with Nolan in the Dark Knight trilogy to working with Waititi in Thor: Love and Thunder years later. The prolific actor points out DC's take on Batman was more grounded, albeit a bit heightened to fit the superhero world. Meanwhile, Waititi's approach is more theatrical and comedic, although he cites the director as being earnest when tackling more emotional aspects of his filmmaking. Check out his full comment below:
Similarities in both being brilliant filmmakers. Differences in entirely different, but I love both their approaches. I was privileged enough to be part of the Dark Knight trilogy, which people considered to be a more realistic approach. You know, heightened reality, but nevertheless a more realistic take. And then the more theatrical and comical take that Taika embraces with Thor: Ragnarok and now Thor: Love and Thunder as well. But, what Taika also does brilliantly is he has wonderful humor, but then it's really surprising how moving this is as well. He's a very sincere man, too, and he really brings the comedy and the tragedy out.
When news broke that Bale was joining Thor: Love and Thunder, it became one of the most exciting parts of the film. Aside from seeing an actor have the chance to be both in high-profile Marvel and DC projects, he's also known for his dedication to his craft, and fans were interested to see how that would manifest in the MCU. Apparently, there was a time that Bale's Gorr the God Butcher casting almost fell apart due to scheduling conflicts, but his kids essentially forced him to make things work, and it seems like a win-win situation.
For what it's worth, Thor: Love and Thunder reviews praise his performance as the God of Thunder's newest adversary. Considering how beloved his version of Batman is, it's clear that he thrives in both Nolan and Waititi's widely different filmmaking styles. As fans wait for what Gorr the God Butcher's ultimate fate will be in the MCU, there are also calls for him to reprise his role as the Caped Crusader, especially with both Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck reprising their Batman roles in Andy Muschietti's The Flash. Bale, however, recently revealed that he would only revisit Batman if Nolan asked him.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes/Twitter
