Christian Bale has squeezed into the Batsuit once again for Christopher Nolan’s stark superhero spectacular The Dark Knight. He talks to David Grove about toys, chaos and his memories of Heath Ledger.

How has Bruce Wayne changed since Batman Begins?

Bruce Wayne isn’t preoccupied with getting revenge for his parents anymore, he’s now totally focused on being Batman and fighting crime. He’s so busy in this film, with The Joker and Two-Face and the new underworld types that have filled the vacuum left behind in the last film, that he doesn’t have time to dwell on the past.

In Batman Begins we spent most of the film learning about Bruce and explaining how he turned into Batman, but this time we’re just jumping right into Batman’s story. Bruce is much more comfortable being Batman this time. He’s learned how to use all of the toys.

What new toys does he have?

The best new toy is the Bat-Pod. It’s a motorcycle with two giant wheels that allows Batman to go faster and to fit into tighter spots that the Batmobile can’t get to. Christopher Nolan is all about reality and making Batman realistic, and it doesn’t make sense for Batman to be driving the Batmobile into these dark alleys because it wouldn’t fit. The Bat-Pod makes sense. Every toy that’s created in the film is for the purpose of making Batman’s job easier and that’s because everything in our world is reality-based.

Were you more comfortable wearing the Batsuit this time?

Yes, it’s very much improved this time, both in terms of the look and comfort. The last suit was a one-piece and I couldn’t even move my head, move anything, so it was very uncomfortable. The suit in Batman Begins was made of rubber latex, but this time they constructed a suit out of polyurethane and there’s much more room to move around in, to breathe. It’s actually a bit heavier than the last one, maybe 10 pounds heavier, but it’s much easier to wear.

It’s better for Batman too. He and Lucius Fox have improved the suit because Batman needs to be able to move around faster. Batman wants to be more agile in this movie, and that’s why he and Lucius change the suit. I also have some new weapons on the suit, like a set of spikes on the forearm that fire projectiles. Batman’s costume, his look, is constantly evolving and Batman and Lucius Fox are always looking for ways to improve the suit.

How has Gotham changed for Batman since Batman Begins?

Batman has discovered that his actions in Batman Begins have actually resulted in a more chaotic and dangerous Gotham than he imagined. He thought that he’d cleaned up the city last time, but that’s not the case. It’s the old story where you kill one enemy and ten more take their place. That’s what’s happened in Gotham. Batman’s actions have made the Gotham underworld angrier and escalated things even more.

One of the themes in the film is the question of taking the law into your own hands. As Batman keeps doing this, where does it lead? His presence attracts more chaos, and he discovers that his actions have unintended consequences.

How did your physical preparation for The Dark Knight compare with that of the last movie?

It was night and day! On Batman Begins, I’d just come from working on The Machinist where I’d lost 100 pounds and had almost killed myself. I then gained as much weight as I could and met with Christopher Nolan and I was like a zombie, and wearing the suit just killed me. I won’t ever do that again.

For The Dark Knight, I’d just worked on Rescue Dawn where I’d lost a bit of weight but nothing compared to what I did on The Machinist. I trained for The Dark Knight, but I’m pretty much the same guy as you saw in Batman Begins. Christopher and the stunt guys know what I can do now, and what I can’t do, so I didn’t have to change my preparation much this time.

Do you find that having the Batman franchise behind you has helped in other parts of your career?

It certainly has helped my career, in terms of doing other kinds of films. A film like Rescue Dawn is a classic example. That was a hard film to get financing for, but after Batman Begins things opened up and the film was greenlit so that’s an example of the Batman franchise helping me. Christopher Nolan and I got along so well on Batman Begins that he wanted me to be in The Prestige, and I was thrilled to be able to work with him again, and now for a third time on The Dark Knight.

It makes me wonder what it would be like if I made American Psycho today, because it took a long time to get that part because I wasn’t a box office name. I wonder if we made American Psycho today, if we could’ve been truer to the material, made an even better film. Being part of the Batman franchise has definitely opened a lot of other doors for me.

How would you describe the relationship between Batman and Two-Face in The Dark Knight?

They both live by a very rigid code. Batman has declared war against criminals, and will do anything to stop crime, and Two-Face lives by a code that makes him kill, and they both have reasons for living by their codes.

In this film, there’s a bit of a triangle because Harvey Dent, when he’s still a good guy, is interested in Rachel Dawes, so there’s some conflict there. Harvey’s also teaming up with Gordon and Batman to fight crime, so they have a triangle. Then Harvey becomes Two-Face, and becomes a totally different person, and he multiplies Batman’s problems. Not only does Batman have to deal with The Joker, who’s a merchant of chaos and destruction, but he has to deal with Two-Face. He’s a thorn in Batman’s side.

What was the biggest challenge for you in making this film?

The biggest challenge is that everyone expects sequels to be terrible. Batman Begins was such a good film and had so many layers that the challenge was to try and top that. I think you need to approach sequels with a bit of fear and humility, knowing that very few sequels are as good as the first, and that you have to work harder the second time. I much prefer that kind of approach as opposed to making a sequel where everything thinks the sequel’s going to be a hit because the first film made so much money. You have to stay hungry and not take anything for granted.

What was it like working with Heath Ledger?

He was just a very intense, brilliant and generous actor. His Joker is a brilliant creation. He took a lot of chances with his performance, in terms of the look and the dress, and he’s just brilliant and terrifying. This is definitely the best Joker that fans have ever seen, the most interesting. His Joker isn’t a silly clown, but a dangerous criminal. He’s a terrifying monster in the film, and that’s all because of Heath’s great performance.

The Dark Knight is out now in US cinemas and opens in the UK on 24th July 2008.

Click here to view The Dark Knight trailer.