Christopher Nolan is a renowned director who has released many acclaimed movies, but perhaps his most famous piece of work isThe Dark Knighttrilogy, and although it ended more than a decade ago, Nolan should work with one of the franchise’s stars again.The Dark Knighttrilogy began in 2005when Nolan directed and co-wrote (with David S. Goyer)Batman Begins. The superhero film wasn’t expected to do well, but it blew its low expectations out of the water by being a critical and commercial success. Consequently, two sequels followed (bothdirected by Nolan) —The Dark KnightandThe Dark Knight Rises.

The Dark Knighttrilogy was nominated for nine Oscars, winning two — Best Supporting Actor for Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker inThe Dark Knightand Best Sound Editing for Richard King’s work inThe Dark Knight.

Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne and Batman with a purple hue

The highly acclaimedDark Knighttrilogy thrust Nolan into the spotlight,making him the distinguished filmmaker he is today. His talent, which was showcased inBatman Begins, opened the door to a world of possibilities. Following his work onThe Dark Knighttrilogy, Nolan has released many acclaimed movies (Inception,Dunkirk,Oppenheimer, and more). So, Nolan can essentially tell any story he wants to on the big screen and work with anyone he desires, which should include an actor fromNolan’sBatmanfilms.

Christopher Nolan Should Work With Christian Bale Again (But Not For Batman)

The Dark Knight 4 Doesn’t Need To Happen To Reunite Nolan & Bale

Christian Bale was the face ofThe Dark Knighttrilogyas he starred as Bruce Wayne/Batman in all three films. As a result,Bale is one of the actors that Christopher Nolan has worked with the most,but that doesn’t mean that their partnership should have ended afterThe Dark Knight Rises​​​​​​. However, it did as Bale and Nolan have yet to collaborate on another project since 2012. Thankfully, there is still time to rectify that mistake as Nolan rides on the success ofOppenheimerinto his next movie and Bale searches for his next project.

The Dark Knight Rises

June 25, 2025

Despite most of their working relationship being spent on Batman,Bale and Nolan’s next film shouldn’t beThe Dark Knight 4​​​​​​. It has been more than a decade since the trilogy ended, andHollywood doesn’t need another Batman movie.Robert Pattinson is the latest actor to play the Caped Crusader on the big screen, and James Gunn is introducing a new version of Batman with the DC Universe. So, Bale and Nolan must look elsewhere if they work together again. Both men are quite talented, meaning it shouldn’t be difficult to jump fromThe Dark Knightto a different project.

This $225M Christian Bale Movie Is The Closest We Ever Got To One Missed The Dark Knight Casting

One famous actor turned down the chance to act opposite Christian Bale in The Dark Knight, but the two joined forces years later in a 2019 drama film.

Christopher Nolan Has Only Worked With Christian Bale In Only 1 Non-Batman Movie

Nolan & Bale Also Worked On The Prestige Together

Christian Bale and Christopher Nolan demonstrated that they could successfully work together outside the world of Batman withthe twist-filled filmThe Prestige.Nolan’s psychological thriller debuted one year afterBatman Beginsand featured Bale as one of the main characters, Alfred “The Professor” Borden.The Prestigereceived critical acclaim (it was nominated for two Oscars) and grossed $109.7 million. Given its success,The Prestigeis a significant example to point towards when arguing that Nolan and Bale should reunite to work on another movie outside the confines ofThe Dark Knighttrilogy.

The Dark Knight

The Dark Knightfranchise, also known asThe Dark Knight Trilogy, is a critically acclaimed and commercially successful film series directed by Christopher Nolan. It is a darker and more realistic take on the Batman character, exploring themes of justice, chaos, and redemption. The trilogy revitalized the Batman film series and is often credited with raising the bar for superhero films, particularly through its exploration of complex moral dilemmas and the iconic portrayal of villains like the Joker.

Christian Bale performing a coin trick in The Prestige

The Dark Knight (2008) Movie Poster