Why Christian Bale Refused To Play James Bond

There are certain roles that can change the course of an actor's life. Few of them are quite as big as that of James Bond. The iconic MI6 spy has been a staple of cinema for more than 60 years, dating back to Sean Connery's debut as 007 in "Dr. No." Every actor, save for George Lazenby, has been catapulted to another level of stardom due to their involvement in the "James Bond" franchise. As a result, it's tough to imagine an up-and-coming actor turning the role down. Yet, that's exactly what Christian Bale did.

In the early 2000s, Bale was very much one of Hollywood's most promising stars. From "American Psycho" to "The Machinist," the actor was earning high praise for his deep commitment to various roles. That's probably why the "James Bond" producers, namely Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, saw him as a logical choice to take over as Bond following Pierce Brosnan's final movie as Bond, "Die Another Day." (Brosnan did, however, return to voice 007 in the video game "Everything or Nothing.")

The 2012 book "Christian Bale: The Inside Story of the Darkest Batman" dives into Bale's brief time flirting with becoming Bond. The book reveals that Broccoli said the role "would be Christian's for the asking." The only problem? He wasn't interested. The book explains that the actor wasn't pumped about the prospect of committing to a franchise that he classified as "very British." What's more, Bale thought of Bond as a "every despicable stereotype about England and British actors."

Bale further stated that he had "already played a serial killer" thanks to his work as Patrick Bateman in director Mary Harron's "American Psycho." Whether or not one wants to refer to Bond as a serial killer is another conversation entirely, but either way, Bale's view of Bond wasn't rosy and despite seemingly being the top choice for the role, the producers clearly had to look elsewhere.

Ultimately, Broccoli and Wilson circled around to Daniel Craig, who was similarly on an upward trajectory thanks to movies like "Road to Perdition" and "Layer Cake," among others. In fairness though, Craig was also reluctant to take on the role, even going so far as to try and sabotage his audition for Bond. It didn't work and Craig was cast as 007 for 2005's "Casino Royale," which is widely regarded as the best movie in the history of the franchise.

Craig's run was a bit uneven, but has been widely celebrated thanks to entries like "Skyfall" balancing out misfires like "Spectre." To say that it worked out for "James Bond" would be an understatement. Fortunately, things worked out for Bale as well, and it would be truly difficult to say, with the benefit of hindsight, that he made the wrong choice.

Bale went on to star as Batman in Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" trilogy, resulting in some of the most beloved blockbusters ever made. He has also been nominated for four Oscars over the years, including Best Actor for "American Hustle," Best Supporting Actor for "The Big Short," and Best Actor for "Vice," while winning Best Supporting Actor for "The Fighter." He's had a career most actors would be envious of.

To say that it worked out for both sides would be an understatement. The "James Bond" franchise was in terrific hands during Craig's era, while Bale still became one of the most celebrated actors of his generation. Frankly, it doesn't always work out that way when someone walks away from a big role. Fortunately, in this case, it did.

You can grab the "Dark Knight Trilogy Collection" on 4K from Amazon.