London, July 26 - 'The Dark Knight' star Christian Bale will slip back into his rubber Batsuit next year to begin shooting the sequel to the blockbuster hit.

The actor has confirmed he will return as Bruce Wayne and his superhero alter-ego Batman for the third time in director Christopher Nolan's forthcoming film, but a production schedule had yet to be released, reports imdb.com.

However, Bale's co-star Gary Oldman, who portrays Commissioner Gordon in the movie adaptations, broke the news of the return of the Caped Crusader to fans at the annual Comic-Con in San Diego, California Friday.

'The next Batman is shooting next year. It's at least two years away. But you didn't hear it from me,' he said.