As the Dark Knight, Christian Bale definitely left his mark on the Batman character – most notably in the form of Batman’s signature voice. The gravelly voice that Bale did has practically become synonymous with the caped crusader by this point, but according to a recent MTV News interview with Bale, it was all a happy accident. The actor recalled how the voice was a spur-of-the-moment decision, brought on by the fear that he wouldn’t fit the part.

Christian Bale, American Hustle Set
Following his departure from the Batman franchise, 2013 saw Bale film "American Hustle" alongside the likes of Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro.

"I got there. They put me in Val Kilmer's suit, he recalled. “It didn't even fit properly, and I stood in it and I went 'I feel like an idiot.' What kind of guy walks around, dressed like a bat? And is then going to go 'Hello, how are you? Just ignore that I'm dressed as a bat.' Of course, he's meant to be doing this," Bale said. "If you look at the history of the guy and the pain that he went through. I went 'I can't do this in a normal voice. I have to become a beast in order to sell this to myself."

In the end, not only did Bale sell it to himself, but to the entire movie-going world. But of course, not everyone was a fan at first. "I went home that evening, and my wife said, 'How'd it go?' I went, 'I kind of did this.' And I showed her, and she went, 'Oh, you f---ed that one up, didn't you?' " he said. "Thank God they went for it."

Christian Bale, Dark Knight Rises European Premiere
Apparently the Bat-voice was a happy accident.

Bits of the audition tape itself has been made available as a part of the "The Dark Knight Trilogy: Ultimate Collector's Edition," just on time for a little Dark Knight nostalgia before Ben Affleck takes on the role for 2015’s Batman vs. Superman. But to Bale, it doesn’t matter who’s wearing the mast. As he rather touchingly put it during the interview: “You look at this kid, Batkid.... That gives the whole point. It doesn't matter which actor is playing him. He's a symbol. He's so much bigger than any actor. That's all. This little kid, he doesn't really care which actor's playing him. It's the symbol of the whole thing, and that's what makes the character so fantastic. I look forward to seeing what Ben will do with it.”

What do you think, will Affleck attempt the Bat-voice?

Ben Affleck, UCLA
The future is fast approaching...