Christian Bale Was In Talks For Solo: A Star Wars Story

Christian Bale came this close to entering the Star Wars galaxy.

Back when casting was underway for Solo: A Star Wars Story, Bale was often mentioned as a leading contender for a supporting role. The Hollywood Reporter's Borys Kit said Bale was up for the part of Solo's mentor, which ultimately went to Woody Harrelson. 

Bale recently confirmed the report during an appearance on the podcast Happy Sad Confused, and it sounds like he seriously considered the role. "Yes, [it was] very tempting," he said. "I not only love the films going back to my childhood, but also have a very long relationship with [Lucasfilm's] Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall because they did Empire of the Sun many years back. There was discussion, [and] I hope there will be future discussions."

Bale didn't say why it didn't work out, but he didn't close the door on a potential Star Wars appearance in the future. "I'm a huge fan," he said. "Yeah, Star Wars really interests me. I've still got the Millennium Falcon [toy]. I've got the AT-AT. My daughter, her first love was Darth Vader. She absolutely adored Darth Maul."

Sci-fi is one thing, but we probably shouldn't hold out hope to see Bale back in a superhero flick after Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. He said he still hasn't seen Ben Affleck as Batman. "I have to confess I'm not a huge superhero film fan," he said. "People seem surprised at that, I don't know why. I've not seen any of the Avengers films or any of those films at all. I hear they're good, but I'm quite happy just hearing they're very good."

Solo: A Star Wars Story hits theaters (without Bale) on May 25.