Batman is a role which many actors would dream of playing. Over the years, many actors have played Batman and most of the time, it’s taken their careers to new heights and brought them to be a part of one of the biggest franchises in history. Actors such as Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, and Ben Affleck have played Batman over the years, and now Robert Pattinson is set to appear in Matt Reeves’ The Batman.
Over the years, many actors have been considered for the role, and each time the franchise is revamped, many actors audition or are contacted about the role. It’s interesting to consider the variety of actors that have been considered and the different portrayals they could have brought to the screen. Here’s a look at some actors who were almost cast as Batman.
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6 Ethan Hawke
Ethan Hawke was considered for the role of Batman in 1995’s Batman Forever, which was directed by Joel Schumacher. The film was massively successful even though critical reviews were mixed. Val Kilmer ended up playing the titular role, with Jim Carrey co-starring as The Riddler. Hawke was offered the role after it was initially turned down by Michael Keaton. Hawke feared that his starring in the film could result in typecasting, so he rejected the offer. Hawke has succeeded in many high-paced action roles such as 24 Hours to Live, so we can see how he could have succeeded as Batman.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
5 Cillian Murphy
Cillian Murphy was considered for Christopher Nolan’s Batman in The Dark Knight trilogy.
The franchise was hugely successful and, ultimately, the role was given to Christian Bale after Nolan considered that Bale had exactly the right balance of darkness and light for the role. During the casting process, Murphy auditioned for the part of Bruce Wayne, but after Nolan thought Bale would be better suited, he offered Murphy the part of the Scarecrow instead. It’s easy to envision Murphy in this role as he has succeeded in many similar roles with a dark edge, like his role in Peaky Blinders.
4 Josh Brolin
Josh Brolin was offered the role of Batman in the DCEU blockbuster Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice before Ben Affleck was ultimately cast. The film was released in 2016 and features a collaboration of Batman and Superman from the DC Comics. Henry Cavill stars as Superman and Ben Affleck is Batman. Several actors were considered before Affleck, including Brolin. Brolin’s success in films such as Deadpool and the Avengers franchise makes it easy to see how he could be considered for the role and be successful as Batman.
3 Nicholas Hoult
A new film adaptation of the Batman franchise is currently in the works, titled The Batman, with Matt Reeves directing and Robert Pattinson playing the titular role. The production was stalled with the outbreak of coronavirus, however, is expected to be released in March 2022. Before Pattinson was cast, Nicholas Hoult was reportedly close in the running for the role. The plan of the movie was to introduce a younger version of Batman, so we can see how Hoult, whose had major success in action movies like X-Men: First Class and its sequels, would succeed in this role.
2 Peirce Borsnan
Pierce Brosnan was considered for Tim Burton’s 1989 version of the Batman franchise entitled Batman. The role ultimately went to Michael Keaton, who starred alongside Jack Nicholson who played The Joker. Brosnan turned down the role as he didn’t want to play a character from a comic book and audiences were initially skeptical of Keaton playing the role due to his experience solely in comedies until that point, so Brosnan seemed the likelier option.
1 Heath Ledger
During the initial production of Batman Begins, Heath Ledger auditioned to play the titular role, but Christopher Nolan felt that he wasn’t right for the role at the time. Ledger was ultimately cast as The Joker in The Dark Knight, a decision which was not well received initially by fans; however, Nolan knew that Ledger’s potential as an actor had not been fully explored yet. Of course, his portrayal of The Joker has gone down in history as arguably the best of the villainous character, so we are glad this is the role he portrayed instead.
