There’s a new Batman in town and, like his predecessor, he’s making waves. Since the beginning of August, Christian Bale has accomplished two major feats: he’s become the most cost-efficient actor ever and he’s launched a Kickstarter campaign that surpassed its goal of $500,000 in less than 24 hours.

So, how is this bale (as they call him in Australia) measuring up? Let’s take a look.

Most Expensive-Feast Cost-Efficient Actor

With eight major films already under his belt, Christian Bale is more experienced than most other leading men. This year, his films have cost between $60 and $80 million to produce. Compare this to the $85 million Jack Nicholson spent on making his eight-film career and the $100 million Kirk Douglas accumulated over 43 films.

The six-month pre-production period for The Big Short was the most expensive of any of the actor’s films to date. The production budget alone was a record-breaking $90 million. So, while we’re certainly not complaining that the movie was a major success, it should come as no great surprise that the production values matched those of a Bourne Identity or a Dark Knight Rises.

Fastest-Feast-Crowdfunded Film

Even before Christian Bale’s new film, The Big Short, opened in theaters this December, the actor had achieved another milestone. He was the first person to raise over $500,000 on Kickstarter for a film. That makes him the rarest of the rare breed: an actor who can consistently drum up interest and funds from fans on Kickstarter (and other crowd-funding platforms).

In fact, the only other comparable actor is George Clooney. The director of The Big Short, Adam McKay, told The Hollywood Reporter that Christian Bale was the best actor they had ever worked with. “He’s a real pro,” McKay said. “He comes in and he works hard and he’s very coachable. So once we got him on-set and he started to understand the vision, he was able to bring that to life and make it something that was special.”

Most Iconic Mask

While many may know Christian Bale from his role as Batman, the truly iconic aspect of his work is his extraordinary performance as Dick Cheney in 2010’s The Machinist. This was a portrayal that earned Bale an Academy Award nomination. Not only that, but it also marked the beginning of a long and distinguished career in Hollywood.

To commemorate this remarkable achievement, Warner Bros. and DC Comics are celebrating with a limited-edition mask. The inspiration for this mask is the one that Christian Bale donned for his memorable performance as Dick Cheney. The company is also offering a life-size bronze statue of the actor as Cheney. These items are available for preorder now and will be shipped in the new year.

Most Iconic Outfit

Before we move on, let’s not forget that Christian Bale is not just a celebrated actor, but he’s also a renowned fashion designer. In fact, it’s been said that he can turn any piece of clothing into a unique ensemble. He frequently collaborates with Tom Ford on his high-profile red-carpet looks. Not only that, but he’s also had numerous one-off pieces of clothing and accessories that were so distinctive that they even warranted their own collections: the most iconic of which are, undoubtedly, the leather jackets.

This year, Christian Bale will finally be getting the recognition he deserves with an official Burton fashion collection. The collection will be called ‘The Dark Knight’ and it will be inspired by the actor’s memorable performances as Batman. This is a project that Burton himself has long wanted to do. So, it’s about time that Christian Bale got the recognition he deserves. This is an outfit that will live on in infamy.

Most Successful Actor-Turned-Director

There are many acclaimed directors who also happen to be famous for playing some of cinema’s most memorable roles. However, only a select few can claim to have transitioned directly from acting to directing. To date, Christian Bale is one of the fewest to do so. In fact, he’s the only one of the major Hollywood actors to have directed a movie. His first endeavor was the 2005 movie, Terminator: Genysis. Since then, he’s had only one other directing effort: the heist film, Scene 76.

Although he hasn’t directed a feature since, the 42-year-old has continued to pop up in small roles in films and TV series. These include the upcoming series, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., in which he’ll be playing Klementi, a fellow agent of secret agent Henry Cavill’s; the AMC series, The Preacher; and the upcoming adaptation of Red, the Will Smith spy novel.

Most Dazzling Dance Floor

So, what does Christian Bale bring to the party that is so special? Aside from his unique skill set as an actor and designer, he brings a certain je ne sais quoi to the table. It’s not just that he can dance. It’s that he can make any dance floor into a dazzling display. This is most evident in 2018’s A Kid Like Jake, in which he dances with Keke Palmer, Vanessa Hudgens, and more importantly, the camera. If you’ve ever seen the scene, you know exactly what I’m talking about. If not, then let me give you a description. It’s kind of like the scene in Fame where he dances with a different female celebrity every day of the week. So yes, Christian Bale can make any dance floor look good.

The question is: does he make your heart dance too?