Christian Bale was promoting a film he made in China that some critics have called propaganda, when he was physically stopped by government-backed guards from visiting a blind activist living under house arrest.

The plan went awry when guards began aggressively pushing Bale away, which CNN all caught on tape.

The video footage shows Bale asking to see Chen, with a CNN producer providing interpretation, but being ordered by one of the guards to leave. He then asked why he was unable to pass through.

The guards responded by trying to grab or punch a small video camera Bale was carrying.

“What I really wanted to do was to meet the man, shake his hand and say what an inspiration he is,” Bale was quoted as saying by CNN.

How come he didn’t unleash ‘The Batman’?