This trilogy will inevitably weaken Batman’s abilities. Perhaps some people won’t , but compared to its four "predecessors," Batman stepping down from his pedestal and becoming a flesh-and-blood person compensates for one of the greatest shortcomings of many DC superheroes—being overly idealized.
The era of Superman and Batman once ended. For modern movies to succeed, they must bridge the gap with the audience.
In this regard, it’s no surprise that DC’s relatively aloof superheroes lost to Marvel’s more down-to-earth ones.
Under Duke’s vision, Batman isn’t like other superheroes with all sorts of superpowers.
In comparison, he’s more like an ordinary person—an ordinary person who has learned ninjutsu and possesses advanced technology. This seems more realistic and gives the impression that a superhero could be someone nearby. And as for the villains, Ra’s al Ghul relies on ninjutsu and technology, Scarecrow on his gas, and Joker and Bane on straightforward threats and brute force, creating the illusion that "these villains might actually appear in my life."
Consequently, it leads to the thought, "Can I become Batman?"
For other films, relatability might not matter much, but for superhero films, it’s incredibly important.
Not only are the characters realistic and believable, but so is Gotham City. Dark, corrupt, full of murder and crime, Gotham fits perfectly with such a superhero. The crime is laid bare before the audience, making it feel less like science fiction or fantasy and more like tangible reality.
Compared to the action scenes, Christian Bale’s performance state is clearly off. It took nearly ten NGs for this relatively simple scene to be completed. Duke could tell that Bale had some issues with understanding Bruce Wayne’s psyche and clearly didn’t give enough weight to this superhero role.
This isn’t to say Christian Bale isn’t dedicated—his work ethic is actually very serious. The problem is that he treats Batman like just another currently popular superhero. However, given the film’s established tone, portraying Bruce Wayne as if he were another standard superhero won’t work.
On the way back to the crew’s lodging, Duke decided to find time to talk to Bale properly.
But the next morning, while Duke was out for a morning jog, Christian Bale approached him, initiating a conversation about the character.
The two walked out of the hotel grounds and stood atop a tall rock, gazing at the distant, white glaciers. Bale spoke softly, "Last night, I re-read the script. I lay in bed thinking for a long time. This character is more challenging and complex than I imagined."
"Don’t treat it as a superhero movie," Duke pulled up his collar to shield his ears from the biting wind. "Think of it as a psychological crime drama. You’ll discover something different."
Christian Bale nodded lightly.
When an actor proactively seeks guidance, Duke is more than willing to provide it. He continued, "What do you think the film’s core theme is?"
Bale thought for a moment before answering, "Fear, anger, determination, and strength."
"Exactly." Duke’s gaze shifted to where the sun was about to rise. "Right now, Bruce Wayne is dominated by fear and anger."
"What do you think of fear?" Duke asked.
"From a physiological perspective, fear is an emotional experience where an organism feels helpless to escape or avoid a certain situation. It can manifest as intense contraction of physiological tissues, dramatic increases in density, and a rapid release of energy." New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵·𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖·𝙣𝙚𝙩
Hearing the non-academically trained Bale articulate such an academic perspective, Duke couldn’t help but smile. "I see fear as a very paradoxical phenomenon—the more you’re afraid, the more you cower, yet it can provoke greater resistance or even counteraction."
Christian Bale showed a curious expression. Duke continued, "To be honest, I’ve never agreed with the idea that opposing and mutually exclusive things can coexist. But this phenomenon indeed exists. The only explanation is that fear itself restrains anger, but when anger is triggered, ’fear-induced strength’ emerges."
"This is the other side of Bruce Wayne’s fear—anger. In fact, I think fear fuels anger, and anger, in turn, unleashes power."
Bringing the topic back to the character, Duke said, "Bruce Wayne’s initial fear of bats stemmed purely from their image. At this stage, Bruce couldn’t feel the power derived from fear. However, after his parents were murdered, Bruce’s fear took on the color of anger. Through learning and training, he gained his strength."
"Unlike his father, who lost his chance for revenge and didn’t dare to challenge Gotham’s gangsters, Bruce’s anger gave him the courage to defy them. This marked the beginning of his departure from Gotham and eventual return."
"Until he finally learned to master fear, he became fear itself. He became Batman."
"Christian," Duke patted Bale’s arm. "What you need to do is highlight Bruce Wayne’s fear, anger, and determination in the appropriate scenes with the appropriate performance."
"I’ll give it my all," Christian Bale responded.
As the sun gradually climbed above the horizon, yesterday’s gloom was replaced by today’s brightness. Duke stepped off the rock and called Bale, "Let’s head to the restaurant and discuss further over breakfast."
The two entered the hotel restaurant, grabbed a few simple dishes, and sat at the same table, slowly eating while exchanging their thoughts on the character.
Of course, as the director, Duke spoke most of the time, while Christian Bale listened.
"The trilogy starts with Batman Begins, which primarily tells Batman’s origin story," Duke explained, pushing his barely-touched breakfast plate aside. "Essentially, it’s about Bruce Wayne’s journey from experiencing fear, overcoming it, and becoming Batman."
"His identity is unique—his family, the Wayne Corporation, is one of Gotham’s most respected and wealthy families," Christian Bale recalled Bruce Wayne’s background while continuing Duke’s explanation. "By conventional standards, Bruce should be a traditional young master, living a luxurious upper-class life, embodying Rachel’s expectations—someone with a sense of justice but who doesn’t actively combat crime."
After pondering a moment, Bale added, "His childhood fear of bats indirectly caused his parents’ death, and he watched Gotham, the city his father dedicated his life to protecting, fall into decay. Fear and anger consumed him."
"Thus, Bruce Wayne’s growth can be divided into three stages."
As a director, guiding an actor to better understand their character to deliver an outstanding performance and elevate the film is part of Duke’s job. He raised one finger. "The first stage is before his parents’ death, where he was plagued by fear due to the bats’ terror. During this phase, his father’s teachings significantly influenced his later actions."
Raising a second finger, Duke continued, "The second stage begins after his parents’ death. During this time, Bruce suppressed his fear with anger—guilt over his parents’ deaths and hatred for their murderer. But as Ra’s al Ghul said, this stage would ’destroy him,’ much like Joe Chill, his parents’ killer—a desperate, angry man crushed by fear of mob boss Carmine Falcone."
Finally, Duke raised a third finger. "So, in the third stage, after Chill was killed by Falcone and revenge became impossible, Rachel’s reminder led Bruce to realize that unbridled anger would leave him directionless. He began his crusade against crime, immersing himself in the underworld to understand them."
Hearing Duke’s analysis, Christian Bale gained a deeper understanding. He said, "As Ra’s al Ghul mentioned, Bruce was always searching for his own fear, not the criminals’. He feared the power within himself, the force unleashed by anger that he couldn’t control. Under Ra’s guidance, he found a symbolic way to channel and master this power, becoming fear itself to confront those who truly needed to be feared. That is Batman."
Duke smiled, stood up, and lightly patted Bale’s shoulder as he walked past him. "I’m looking forward to your next performance."
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