Christian Bale being cast in the dual role of Batman/Bruce Wayne wasnt that much of a stretch because he had the look for the character in and out of costume. The revelation however was his ability to interpret the character as something fresh for the masses of moviegoers burnt by fatuous portrayals of not just Batman but superheroes on film in other movies. The fact he was able to not just hold his own on-screen opposite Oscar-winning actors but let his character grow for each chapter was nothing short of amazing. Batman is going to be linked with Christian Bale the same way Wolverine is linked with Hugh Jackman and Superman is linked with Christopher Reeve but as evidenced by his award winning turn in 2010s
The Fighter, Bale is going to be known for more than the Caped Crusader for the rest of his career. Warner Bros. and Nolan lucked out getting an actor of Bales caliber to act in not just one but three comic book movies and Warners will have to hope for lightning to strike again when the Dark Knight rises on the screen once more.