Christian Bale admits he still hasn’t seen The Batman

Christian Bale has nothing but kind words for Robert Pattinson’s caped crusader – however, he’s yet to see The Batman. 

Out of all the actors to take up the Batmantle on the big screen, Bale surely ranks among the most iconic, if not the best. His trilogy is near-untouchable, whether it’s the gothic flair of Batman Begins, facing off with cinema’s greatest-ever villain in The Dark Knight, or the epic spectacle of The Dark Knight Rises.

For many, especially those who grew up with Christopher Nolan’s films, Bale will always be the Batman to beat. That said, others have donned the cowl with great success: while his films weren’t great overall, Ben Affleck was an absolute brute; and earlier this year, Pattinson proved his naysayers wrong.

Back when he was first cast, Bale echoed the correct observations: Pattinson is a terrific choice to play Batman, especially given his work with the Safdie Brothers in Good Time. But amid everything else going on, such as joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Bale hasn’t seen his successor in action.

Christian Bale still hasn’t watched Robert Pattinson’s The Batman

The Batman had certain obstacles to overcome: in the UK, it was given a 15 rating, meaning younger teenagers and kids couldn’t see it in cinemas; and it was nearly three hours long, a tough ask for your modern moviegoer and the bladder-anxious among us.

But the film ended up grossing more than $770 million worldwide, with its immense cinematography, Matt Reeves’ direction, and Pattinson’s performance drawing significant praise.

While attending the premiere of Thor: Love and Thunder, which stars Bale as the villainous Gorr the God Butcher, Variety asked him what he thought about The Batman. “I still haven’t seen it, I will see it,” he answered.

• Read More: Thor: Love and Thunder first reactions praise Christian Bale’s “terrifying” Gorr

“Listen mate, it’s amazing how few films I see. Every director I work with, I’ve seen a couple of films and they’re always looking at me going, ‘Are you kidding?’ I like to really savor films and I don’t want too many. But I certainly will. Robert is an absolutely wonderful actor… and I hear wonderful things.”

Christian Bale’s advice to Robert Pattinson before playing Batman

Prior to Pattinson taking on Batman, Bale said they “bumped into each other [and] talked a little bit about it ahead of time.”

During a past appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Pattinson explained: “I was a bit scared to ask [former Batmen] anything but I bumped into Christian Bale. [I was] next to him in a urinal and I guess it kind of inspired him to say, ‘The first thing you need to do in the Batsuit is to figure out a way to pee.'”

Out of all the advice, being able to relieve yourself in the suit made the most headlines, but Bale said they spoke about “many other things” too.

The Batman is now available to stream on HBO Max.