Christian Bale has only just realised he turned into Bruce Wayne

Christian Bale has been hailed as the real life Bruce Wayne as he opens up a new foster care village that aims to keep siblings together.

Bale, 52, attended the opening of Together California at the weekend, a sprawling 11,000-square-foot community that he and his wife Sibi helped create.

Together California has been described as a first of its kind village that will prioritise keeping siblings in the foster system together, something organisers say isn’t a guarantee.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2024, Bale opened up about the project.

He shared: “With our Together California model, [the village] is something absolutely new, totally transformative and something completely needed. Imagine the absolute pain and the trauma of losing your parents or being torn from your parents, and then losing your brothers and sisters on top of that, that’s no way to treat kids.

Christian Bale has more in common with Batman than you might think (Warner Bros)

“And so, we will be the hub for that. I hope that this village will be the first of many, and I hope that people, Californians and Angelenos, know to come join us in opening our eyes to what’s happening right under our noses. These are our children, and we must help our children.”

The village comprises 12 fully-furnished units, including two studio apartments that will be used by those leaving foster care.

Together California Executive Director Tim McCormick said: “A place where everyone is welcomed, a place that keeps families together, a place that creates community, a place where you can find hope in the most challenging of times.”

Bale has no personal experience with the care system but says he became inspired to help others following the birth of his children.

He explained: “After our daughter had been born, I found myself trying to imagine what it would be like if we weren’t around.

“At the same time, I was doing all-night searches for what was going on in L.A. proper and where we could help. I was stunned and mad to learn that we have more foster kids here than anywhere else in the country. I was also kicking myself for not knowing that before so I thought, ‘Well, this is it. Let’s focus on this.’”

The project was entirely funded through donations, including nearly $9 million raised by the Austrian American Council West.

Bale and his wife Sibi attended the opening of the village (Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Together California)

According to News Nation, Bale and his wife donated a staggering $22 million into the project, which has been more than a decade in the making, and they weren’t the only ones to chip in with fellow actor Leonardo DiCaprio also reportedly making a donation.

As well as being an incredibly generous thing to do, it’s also a case of life imitating art for Bale.

Fans of the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy may remember that Bruce Wayne, played by Bale, opened up an orphanage, a fact that originally didn’t occur to the Hollywood star.

“It wasn’t until a couple years after I started doing this that I realised that Bruce Wayne started an orphanage at the end of the movies,” he said.

“And I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of it before, but it wasn’t until I started seeing it online that people were saying that.”

With the facility now officially opened, children are expected to begin arriving at Together California next month.

At the opening this weekend, Bale told ABC: “It’s our job to turn their heartbreak and their pain into love and hope and a sense of future.”