Christian Bale Shuts Down Fan Theory That He's Playing Batman in 'Batman v Superman'

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While Ben Affleck will be donning the Caped Crusader's iconic cowl in the upcoming Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, there is a fan theory that's been gaining traction online speculating that former Batman, Christian Bale, will appear in the upcoming superhero epic.

The complex theory states, in part, that Affleck is not Bruce Wayne -- he's just the man who has taken on the mantle of Batman after Wayne retired from crime-fighting -- and that Bale will show up as the real Bruce Wayne, and possibly even take on the role of Batman once again.

Whew, got all that?

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ET caught up with Bale at the premiere of The Big Short on closing night of the AFI Fest in Hollywood, California on Thursday, and the 41-year-old Oscar winner basically shut down that theory.

"I haven’t heard that. This is the first I’ve heard of it," Bale said "I think it’s pretty clear that Ben [Affleck] is playing Batman now."

If that's not definitive enough for fans who think he might be skirting the issue of whether or not Affleck is really playing Bruce Wayne, Bale added, "No, it’s not happening."

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It doesn't get more direct than that. Sorry folks, Affleck is absolutely our new Batman and Bale won't be rocking the Batsuit any time in the near future.

Bale's new film, The Big Short, is a far cry from the cape and cowl world of superhero movies. The film revolves around corporate greed and the recent financial crisis that rocked the nation after the bursting of the housing and credit bubbles. So, essentially it's a movie about Bruce Wayne if he never lost his parents or decided to fight crime dressed like a giant bat.

The Big Short hits theaters Dec. 23.

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