If TDKR is another box office critical and financial sensation, I think it's safe to assume that the people involved in that project can pretty much pick and choose which roles they want.
As we know from recent interviews, Bale has stated "he has no plan," and just "takes what comes along and that he likes, and passes on what he doesn't like." We all know that Bale's ego is healthy enough that if there's an A-list Marvel character left, and the opportunity presents itself, the odds are fairly decent he will want to make his mark on that universe. Which roles are left? I've taken great liberties here, as far as physical appearance goes, because we know how fast visual effects are advancing. Meaning there will not be many boundaries for actors on which roles they can play pretty soon. Keep your minds open, as I've saved the one where Bale's demeanor and appearance really does work, for the last choice on my list.
With his being such an experimental actor, the odds seem fairly decent he would like to turn the tides. We have yet to see him take on a complex villain (but we know he does this very well from American Psycho, and The Machinist).
As far as the comic book genre goes, there's a few A-List villains that Marvel retains the rights to. Some of these characters I don't believe Marvel/Disney still has the rights, such as Apocalypse. I see a potential for a one character deal if Bale was involved. It could always be done through a rival studio such as Fox. I'll stick to a somewhat concise list as it's taking quite a while to get these on the screen.
A-List Villains left
The ancient Egyptian energy draining super human, turned altogether something else. After Disney's
Prince of Persia, Most of us will probably agree, it's probably a good idea to pick an actor from said ethnicity. However, there will always remain exceptions to any rule.
Ultron/The Vision: Since Ultron could at first take on any form he wants, it's safe to say this is a distinct possibility. Noting how great actors always like to work with great actors, I'm quite sure the future team up of Christian Bale and Robert Downey Jr. is something we may come to see in an eventual
Iron Man sequel or
Avengers film.
Galactus: I'm not 100% sure of the status of the rights to Marvel's ultimate planet-munching arch nemesis. If they're ever to reacquire the rights, and finally bring him into the physical form of a giant humanoid, I'm sure Bale would be more than happy to go from star to star dominating civilization after civilization.
Onslaught: About as powerful as they come, this psionic entity is another X-Men villain who really has no face put to its character--more than likely still owned by Fox.
A-List Heroes Daredevil Reboot: Bale could work as this character, though there may be better choices out there.
Iron Fist (Daniel "Danny" Rand): Since this is one of Marvel's more organic A-list characters, and a martial artist, this is a strong choice for Bale. A lot of us are chomping at the bit to see this movie get made, and there is a particular crossover possibility with Daredevil that could make things very interesting.
Here's my pick: Doctor Strange. Some of us consider him almost as complex a character as Batman. So in my eyes, if Bale does decide to jump ship, there are good odds this is the role he'll come after. T.here are a few other actors totally suitable for this character (Liam Neeson, being arguably the best possibility). I've given it a lot of thought and really think Bale could pull it off pretty well.
It may seem early to be talking about these things. Since the odds seem low that Christopher Nolan will continue helming the
Batman franchise after the
TDKR, it's probably not bad for these ideas to have some time to resonate.
Food for thought on this Thanksgiving Day, and rife for all out discussion and debate to help out with digestion.