The Batman remake was a box office success, earning $770.3 million worldwide, in addition to being well received by critics. Warner Bros. formally approved The Batman 2, with Reeves and Pattinson both confirmed to return, after The Batman was well received by critics and fans. Bale, who featured in Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy, was one of the numerous men who played Batman before Pattinson took on the role. Similar to The Batman, Bale's portrayal of Bruce took place in a real-world setting with no other superheroes but the Caped Crusader.
Bale is poised to return to the superhero genre with his role in Thor: love and Thunder. Bale wrapped up his run as Batman back in 2012 with The Dark Knight Rises. Bale was recently asked by Variety at a Marvel movie event if he had watched The Batman by this time. Bale acknowledged that he hasn't seen Pattinson's portrayal of Batman, but the film is unquestionably on his watchlist.