The Fighter was one of those rare combinations of the right cast and the right story, as evidenced by its recent sweep of the supporting actor awards at the Oscars, so to Mark Wahlberg, at least, it seems like a given that they should just do it all over again. Speaking to Extra on Sunday, Wahlberg said, “We’re gonna talk about doing No. 2,” adding, “We’re gonna do the Ward /Gatti trilogy and make it real.” The “trilogy” Wahlberg is referring to is the series of fights between Mickey Ward and the late Arturo Gatti, Ward’s most famous and most evenly matched rival, brutal grudge matches that sent both opponents to the trauma ward several times yet also made them millions of dollars.

The cinematic ups and downs of the fights, the side story about Ward and Gatti becoming friends in the end, the way it offered a dramatic capper to Ward’s career—obviously these would lend themselves to another film. But of course, this is just talk at this point, and it goes without saying that it would be crucial to get the same cast on board. Which means Christian Bale would have to once again hit the crash diet and transform himself into a plucked rooster. Clearly this whole sequel idea is just Mark Wahlberg’s way of trying to kill Christian Bale. [via The Playlist]