Christian Bale Starting Olympic Diet For TDKR?

The actor looks to be on a diet more suitable for an Olympian than an actor.

In the past, some have called actor Christian Bale's commitment to his roles gimmicky. The Dark Knight Rises actor has been known to trim down dramatically to play characters in movies that call for it - including The Machinist, Rescue Dawn, and The Fighter. Still, he's never been shy about bulking up for a role and many are curious what his plans are for the third Batman movie.

Allegedly, when Bale first showed up on the set of Batman Begins, he was a lot bigger than what was seen in the final film. Director Christopher Nolan and his crew requested he trim down to roughly 190 lbs. to fit into the suit after getting a good look at him. His size inspired jokes about the movie needing to be named, "Fatman Begins" [See: Batman Begins Special Features on DVD].

For The Dark Knight, Bale once again transformed his body, duplicating that slimmer toned/muscular body type they had requested in the first movie. So will he be doing the same for the third and perhaps final movie in the trilogy? Sources close to the actor claim he's taking a different direction for The Dark Knight Rises. Instead, he's apparently opting to stick to a diet suitable for an Olympian. Showbiz Spy explains:

“Christian prepares for every role as if it will be his last,”

“But with Bruce Wayne and Batman he feels this is his last chance to really nail the role. He’s pouring over comic books and he’s started the kind of diet and exercise regime that is more in line with an Olympic athlete than an actor. He’s going to be in the best shape of his life by the time he gets the Bat suit on again.”

Will we get to see a bulkier, muscular Batman or the more toned, svelte crime fighter in The Dark Knight Rises? Let the speculation begin.