Actor Christian Bale admits to being jealous of Ben Affleck being cast as Batman. The 40-year-old "Dark Knight" trilogy star confessed to Empire Magazine that he had an issue with someone taking over his character.
"I've got to admit initially, even though I felt that it was the right time to stop, there was always a bit of me going, 'Oh, go on ... Let's do another,'" recalled the Oscar winner. "So when I heard there was someone else doing it, there was a moment where I just stopped and stared into nothing for half an hour."
He continued to say he has accepted it and moved on: "But I'm 40. The fact that I'm jealous of someone else playing Batman ... I think I should have gotten over it by now."
The actor added, via The Guardian, that he gave some choice advise to Affleck, 42. "I haven't spoken with Ben, but I emailed him offering bits of advice that I learned the hard way. I would imagine he is doing everything he can to avoid anything that I did," said the "American Hustle" star.
While Bale may be having a hard time letting go, the process of being the new Batman has been an uphill battle for the "Gone Girl" actor.
Affleck has received a lot of backlash following the announcement of his casting. Ever the professional and being the seasoned Hollywood professional that he is, Jennifer Garner's other half has learned to take it all in and focus on the work.
Speaking on the craze that has surrounded him as "Batfleck" and the film: "Before I took the role, Warner Bros. gave me a bunch of past reactions to casting and said, 'Are you sure you want to get into this? This is part and parcel of these movies now. There's a lot of active fans with a lot of opinions," said the star to Entertainment Weekly.
"To me, having been through a certain amount of that, it doesn't really... Everyone's entitled to their opinion. I wouldn't have taken the part if I didn't trust my instincts in terms of the filmmaking. I think Chris Terrio wrote a terrific script. Zack's a great visual director. And there's an interesting take. I wouldn't have done it if I didn't think I could do it. I have the benefit of a lot of that understanding. But also, everyone is entitled to their opinion. That's a big part of this international sport. The Fifty Shades of Grey kid or whatever it is. That's sort of become a thing," concluded the actor.
With no trailer in sight, fans will have to wait to see Affleck in Action. "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" is scheduled for release March 2016.
