The Dark Knight Rises: Christian Bale Would Love To Star in Batman 4

Christopher Nolan may not be returning for Warner Brothers' inevitable next entry in the Batman franchise, but Christian Bale has reportedly told Empire Magazine that he is open to returning for a fourth time as masked vigilante Bruce Wayne. It was long thought that the Welsh star had no intention of donning the cowl without Nolan's direction, but that might not be the case. The Oscar winner is quoted as saying "If Chris came to me with a script and said, "You know what? There is another story," then I would love the challenge of making a fourth one work." And whilst Nolan has ruled out his return as director, he may yet play a part in the future of the DC hero's on-screen escapades, having already signed on as a producer on the Superman re-boot, Man of Steel, and with many linking him to some involvement in the impending Justice League ensemble. Should Nolan stay involved in some capacity, even as simply an executive producer, it may now be the case that Bale will indeed line up alongside Henry Cavill's Clark Kent at some point in the not too distant future. Bale's comment takes on added significance for those pondering whether Batman is set to die at the end of Nolan's trilogy. Trailers depict him responding to Catwoman's claim that he's given the people of Gotham everything with the ominous line "not everything... not yet". Does this mean Bruce Wayne is set to survive that film's events? Or is Bale merely teasing the audience? We'll all know soon enough.