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Image: Christian Bale
Darla Khazei  /  AP
Actor Christian Bale works on the set of the latest Batman film, "The Dark Knight Rises" on Wall Street in New York on Sunday Nov. 6.
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updated 11/27/2011 2:27:28 PM ET 2011-11-27T19:27:28

Christian Bale has had enough of all things Batman.

The 37-year-old thesp, who played the Caped Crusader in "Batman Begins," "The Dark Knight" and the upcoming "The Dark Knight Rises," said the latter film will be the last time fans see him in bat garb, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

MORE: Christian Bale Brawling on the Dark Knight Rises Set

"I wrapped a few days ago so that will be the last time I'm taking that cowl [Batman hood] off," Bale told the publication. "I believe that the whole production wrapped yesterday, so it's all done. Everything's finished. It's me and [director] Chris [Nolan] — that will be the end of that Batman era."

But, this isn't the first time the Oscar winner let on that his time with the franchise was coming to an end.

Last November, Bale told E! News in a sit down, "The thing is that this will be, I believe, unless Chris says different, this will be the last time I'm playing Batman."

MORE: Batman vs. Catwoman: Christian Bale and Anne Hathaway Suit Up on the Set of The Dark Knight Rises

And just in case you're wondering if some sort of costar spat was involved with Bale's decision (he has notoriously flown off the handle before on set), he had nothing but good things to say about his costars, particularly regarding Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, and Joseph Gordon Levitt's talents in the flick.

"When Chris watched the screen test, he agreed that Anne did a wonderful job," Bale said. "In many ways, she has the hardest job. There are a number of people who feel that the Catwoman role has been defined previously. So, I always saw Anne's role as being the toughest job of any of us."

As far as Hardy, he described him as "a phenomenal actor."

MORE: Batman Baddie Tom Hardy Reveals Secrets of His Dark Knight Rises Costume

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"I like working with him a great deal," Bale went on. "He goes the whole hog. I know that Bane has been seen in movies before. But, in my eyes, Tom is essentially creating Bane for the first time so there's great freedom for him to be able to do so."

And he was also impressed by Gordon-Levitt's performance as John Blake in the film.

"Joseph is a very intriguing guy," Bale continued. "I would see Joseph's performances in other films while we were filming. He's somebody who truly seems to love acting. He's a good, smart guy. He did a very good job in the movie."

PHOTOS: Superhero Fashion Police

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Photos: Christian Bale’s career

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  1. A 'Fighter's' triumph

    Christian Bale won the Screen Actors Guild award for outstanding performance by a male actor in a supporting role for "The Fighter" on Jan. 30, 2011. Bale thanked the man he played in the film, retired boxer Dicky Eklund, saying "thank you for living the life and thank you for letting me play you." (Kevin Winter / Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation
  2. Red-carpet couple

    Bale, left, and wife Sibi Blazic arrive at the 2011 SAG Awards. She once worked as a personal assistant to actress Winona Ryder. The couple have a daughter, Emmeline, born in 2005. (Chris Pizzello / AP) Back to slideshow navigation
  3. Blood brothers

    Bale's character in "The Fighter" is the brother of a rising boxer played by Mark Wahlberg. (Paramount Pictures) Back to slideshow navigation
  4. Hunting Dillinger

    In 2009's "Public Enemies," Bale starred as federal agent Melvin Purvis, promoted by J. Edgar Hoover to pursue gangster John Dillinger. Johnny Depp played Dillinger. (Universal Pictures) Back to slideshow navigation
  5. You're being followed

    Christian Bale arrives at the premiere of "Terminator Salvation" at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Thursday, May 14, 2009, in Hollywood, Calif. (Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation
  6. Man vs. machine

    In "Terminator Salvation," Bale stars as John Connor, the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators. The actor made headlines before the film's release when an audio recording caught him in a profanity-filled, on-set rant against the film's director of photography. (Warner Bros.) Back to slideshow navigation
  7. Man of the people

    Bale accepts the award for favorite on screen match-up for "The Dark Knight" at the 35th annual People's Choice awards in Los Angeles on Jan. 7, 2009. The award was for his on-screen work with the late Heath Ledger, who played the Joker to Bale's Batman. "The Dark Knight" took home five People's Choice Awards, including favorite movie. (Danny Moloshok / Reuters) Back to slideshow navigation
  8. 'Knight' time

    Bale took on the role of Batman for the second time in director Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight." Bale told MoviesOnline.com what appealed to him about the film. "This was no longer an action movie," he said. "This was no longer a superhero movie. This was a movie that can stand shoulder to shoulder with any genre of movie." (Warner Bros. Pictures) Back to slideshow navigation
  9. Family man

    Bale and his daughter Emmeline and wife Sibi Blazic arrive at Narita International Airport for the promotion of "The Dark Knight" on July 26, 2009 in Narita, Japan. (Jun Sato / WireImage) Back to slideshow navigation
  10. Doing Dylan

    Bale was one of six actors (which included his "Dark Knight" co-star, Heath Ledger) who portrayed versions of Bob Dylan in Todd Haynes' 2007 film, "I'm Not There." (Weinstein Company / Everett Collection) Back to slideshow navigation
  11. Western style

    Bale starred as a small-town rancher who must deliver an outlaw (played by Russell Crowe) to a train in 2007's "3:10 to Yuma." Bale told the Onion A.V. Club that "like in most Westerns, you have the very clear-cut bad-guy/good-guy, however, as the movie progresses, you kind of see that it's a very fine line that divides these two." (Lion's Gate Films) Back to slideshow navigation
  12. Time for fans

    Bale signs autographs for his fans as he arrives for the German premiere of his film "Batman Begins" on June 15, 2005, in Berlin. The movie tells the story of how the leading character, Bruce Wayne, became what he was destined to be: Batman. (Michael Kappeler / AFP - Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation
  13. Leading ladies

    Katie Holmes, as Rachel Dawes, starred opposite Bale in "Batman Begins." She was replaced by Maggie Gyllenhaal for "The Dark Knight." (Warner Bros.) Back to slideshow navigation
  14. Batman beckons

    Bale and wife Sibi Blazic promote "Batman Begins." Bale told About.com that he'd initially been skeptical about doing a comic book film, until he checked out the source material. "I read 'Batman Year One' and like the 'Dark Victory' and stuff, and I thought, 'This is good stuff. There's a really great character here. The way that they play it is fantastic. Why has there never been a movie done?'" (Dave Benett / Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation
  15. Extreme dedication

    Bale lost 62 pounds (he was down to 120) to play the lead role in 2004's "The Machinist." The film tells the story of a man who suffers from both insomnia and paranoia, and slowly starts losing his grip on reality. Staying away from food during the shoot wasn't easy for Bale. He told Ain't It Cool News, "I chose not to go eat with anybody, because the second I saw or smelled that food, I was like a wolf. And, I had a couple of times when I did do that, and I ate five meals at one go, you know?" (Paramount Classics / Everett Collection.) Back to slideshow navigation
  16. Psycho killer

    Bale starred as serial killer, executive and Phil Collins fan Patrick Bateman in 2000's "American Psycho," opposite Chloe Sevigny. Bale told Reel.com that director Mary Harron described the character by saying he was "an alien who is trying to understand or fit into society. It was a great description, really, because he is so inhuman but is attempting to understand these things called humans." (Lion's Gate Films) Back to slideshow navigation
  17. Bad guy roles

    In 2000's "Shaft" remake, Bale starred opposite Samuel L. Jackson as a murderer who leaves the country to escape prosecution. When he returns to the States, it's up to Shaft to make sure that Bale's character, Walter Wade, doesn't get to the key witness. (Paramount Pictures) Back to slideshow navigation
  18. Ready for any role

    Bale took on the role of Jesus of Nazareth in the 1999 NBC movie "Mary, Mother of Jesus." According to IMDB.com, Madonna was originally supposed to take on the role of Mary, but dropped out just before filming began. (Lion's Gate Films) Back to slideshow navigation
  19. 'Empire' strikes Bale

    Though he'd had a few other small roles, Bale's big break came at age 13 when he was cast in the lead of Steven Spielberg's 1987 film, "Empire of the Sun." According to IMDB.com, Bale was chosen from 4,000 boys who auditioned for the role. (Warner Bros. / Everett Collection) Back to slideshow navigation
  20. Early years

    Bale made a name for himself in "Empire of the Sun." As a teen, he would go on to star in films such as "Swing Kids" and "Newsies." (Jim Smeal / WireImage) Back to slideshow navigation
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