Current Caped Crusader Christian Bale has been cast in the upcoming Terminator: Salvation (aka Terminator 4) for Warner Bros. Pictures, according to numerous reports. The film is intended to be the first installment of a new Terminator trilogy, undoubtedly centering on the post-apocalyptic war between humans and the robots of Skynet, as prophesied in the original set. In the first three Terminator films (aka the Schwarzenegger Opus Trilogy), different models of the Terminator cyborg travel through time in order to kill John Connor, preventing him from fulfilling his destiny as the leader of the human resistance during the machine wars. 

But who will Bale play? A Terminator? There are reports that he’s been cast as John Connor, a strong possibility considering that Nick Stahl (John Connor in T3) has said he is not returning to play Connor in T4. Bale’s also been rumored to be cast as an entirely new hero in the franchise, first mentioned here: Terminator 4 in the works.

Time will tell. T4 begins shooting early next year and the studio hopes to be on target for a Summer 2009 release.