Christian Bale has confirmed he was in talks for a role in this summer's Solo: A Star Wars Story and he remains hopeful to work with Lucasfilm at some point in the future. While the Oscar winner did not reveal what part he was considering, all signs indicate it was that of Beckett, young Han's smuggling mentor. It was around this time last year Woody Harrelson joined the spinoff as the character, and while his casting was becoming official, reports stated Lucasfilm also had Bale in mind as a possibility.
Harrelson, with his adeptness at comedy and drama, should prove to be a valuable addition to the Star Wars universe, but if things didn't work out with him, Bale would have been one great consolation prize. The former Batman is one of this generation's finest actors, known for his incredibly dedicated method style where he transforms himself into his roles. Bale isn't afraid to alter his body type for his craft (see: The Machinist), and it would be interesting to see what he could bring to the galaxy far, far away. Fortunately, he's open to joining forces with Lucasfilm.
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In an interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Bale admitted he was tempted to sign on for Solo, and cited his history with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy (whom he worked with as a child star in Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun) as a primary reason why he would be game to join this franchise:
“Yes, [it was] very tempting. I not only love the films going back to my childhood but also have a very long relationship with Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall because they did Empire of the Sun many years back. There was discussion, [and] I hope there will be future discussions.”
If Bale were to become part of Star Wars, it would be something of a change-of-pace for his career. Recently, he's opted more for smaller awards contenders than big-budget fare, though there have been notable exceptions in the past. In addition to the Dark Knight trilogy, Bale also starred as John Connor in Terminator: Salvation. It sounds like he would be keen on working with Lucasfilm if the circumstances were right, revealing he's a "huge fan" of Star Wars and has passed his love for it down to his children. With Episode IX currently in pre-production (with new roles to be cast) and Last Jedi director Rian Johnson developing his all-new trilogy, there will be plenty of opportunities for Bale in the future.
Star Wars has become well-known for catapulting unknowns into global superstardom and rarely cast established names in the films. However, Bale is one A-lister who would be a strong fit in the franchise, given his uncanny ability to alter his appearance and voice from movie to movie. Whereas seeing a famous face pop up in Star Wars could be distracting, Bale can become his character to the point where the audience may not even recognize him. Hopefully, all parties involved can make it work one day, as Lucasfilm would be quite lucky to team up with someone as prolific as Bale.
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Source: Happy Sad Confused
