The Hollywood Reporter does not "speculate" about things.
And neither do Variety, Deadline Hollywood, or Entertainment Weekly.
The fact that this came directly from The Hollywood Reporter as independent corroboration of a report from another site means that it's legitimate, but it also doesn't mean that it's 100% guaranteed to happen.
The references to speculation related not to Bale being in negotiations for the role (which nobody disputes) but to the role he’ll play (which THR does not say).