Christian Bale says he will not be Batman in ‘Justice League’ movie

In the wake of "Man of Steel's" huge box office success, talk of a “Justice League” movie is heating up. As a result, many fans have been left wondering what’s next for Batman, the superhero who finally reversed DC Comics’ fortunes on the big screen.

“Justice League” is designed to be Warner Brothers’ answer to Marvel’s “The Avengers” -- a big budget superhero ensemble movie that will team Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, and the rest of DC’s top-tier superpowered beings against some global threat. “Man of Steel” star Henry Cavill is pretty sure he’ll be in “Justice League” – though he doesn’t seem to think the movie will happen any time soon – but who will play Batman in the super team-up?

As "Dark Knight" director and "Man of Steel" producer Christopher Nolan moves on to more sci-fi pastures with the upcoming "Interstellar," one thing is clear: the World's Greatest Detective definitely won’t be played by actor Christian Bale again.

Confirming what was pretty much already known, the “Dark Knight” trilogy star said he is officially hanging up the Batman cape and cowl for good and will not reprise the iconic role for the much talked about “Justice League” movie. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Bale said he hasn’t spoken to anyone involved in the WB project and feels that it’s time for him to move on from the character.

"It’s a torch that should be handed from one actor to another,” Bale said, reminding us all of those terrible few years when Val Kilmer and George Clooney played the role of Bruce Wayne. “I enjoy looking forward to what somebody else will come up with.”

Bale, Nolan, and company clearly don’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth. And after nearly $2.5 billion in worldwide box office receipts, who can blame them?

“We were incredibly fortunate to get to make three ['Batman' films]. That’s enough. Let’s not get greedy,” the actor said, adding that he and Nolan jointly agreed that “The Dark Knight Rises” was where their journey with the Caped Crusader should end.

So, who will take up the Bat-mantle now that Bale is officially counting himself out? There are more than a few likely candidates in Hollywood, for what is sure to be one of the most sought-after roles of the decade.

In demand actor Michael Fassbender ("X-Men: First Class," "Prometheus") would seem a likely candidate, though his more than passing resemblance to Superman actor Henry Cavill might hurt his chances -- as does the fact that he's already playing high profile supervillain Magneto in Fox's "X-Men" franchise. Cavill's "Immortals" co-star Luke Evans has also been touted as a possible Bruce Wayne replacement, but while the Welshman can certainly play dark and brooding well, he doesn't quite have the same box office appeal as his competitors.

Another name that keeps cropping up whenever "Justice League" is mentioned is "Lone Ranger" star Armie Hammer. The young actor was once cast to play the Dark Knight in WB's aborted 2007 version of "Justice League," before going on to co-star as the Winklevoss twins in David Fincher's "The Social Network." Hammer's status as a rising Hollywood star combined with his 6-foot-5 frame make him a surefire candidate for the Wayne/Batman role.

The "Justice League" movie may still be years away, but with a prime spot in its superpowered lineup now officially vacant, expect to hear a lot more about prospective Batmen in the coming months.