9 Actors You Probably Didn’t Know Almost Played Batman

We might have seen a few different versions of the likes of Spider-Man and Superman on the big screen, but Batman still holds the record for being the most portrayed superhero in cinema. From when Lewis Wilson donned a high-waisted pair of underpants in 1943’s Batman serial to Ben Affleck wearing a high-tech metal suit in this year’s Batman V Superman, ten different actors have played the Dark Knight on the silver screen to date. But things could have been very different at each of these junctures if another actor took on the role. For instance, The Joker himself, Heath Ledger, originally auditioned for Batman in Batman Begins (he was also offered Spider-Man). Imagine if he got the part – would Christian Bale have then played the Clown Prince of Crime in The Dark Knight? Ledger is far from the only one who missed out on donning the Caped Crusader’s tights, however, and in honor of the recent Ultimate Cut release of Batman V Superman, we take a look back at 9 other actors who almost played the iconic role. 9) David Boreanaz Joss Whedon fans will primarily know David Boreanaz for his long-running role as dark avenger Angel in Buffy The Vampire Slayer and his own spin-off show, Angel. There are many similarities between Angel and Batman – both have a dark past and a penchant for standing on rooftops and wearing black clothing. With that in mind, it makes a lot of sense that Boreanaz’ name was apparently right at the top of list when Warner Bros. were looking for their new Caped Crusader in Batman Begins. There is a common rumour among fans that Boreanaz actually turned the part down for unknown reasons, perhaps due to not wanting to be typecast in the same kind of role. Recently, however, Boreanaz said that he never turned down the part and he thinks it was just a tall tale spread by his manager. But then would you really admit that you turned down Batman? 8) Cillian Murphy Irish actor Cillian (pronounced with a hard C) Murphy found probably his most famous role in Jonathan Crane AKA Scarecrow in Batman Begins. So terrific was his performance that he reappeared for cameo parts in both The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, as well, and worked with Christopher Nolan again in Inception. At first, though, he lobbied for the lead role of Batman. For his audition, he wore Val Kilmer’s old suit from Batman Forever and acted opposite future Lois Lane Amy Adams. Though Nolan didn't think Murphy was the right fit for the Dark Knight, he was blown away by the actor’s screen presence and successfully campaigned for him to be cast as Scarecrow instead. 7) Johnny Depp In retrospect, given how close a working relationship Tim Burton and his recurring star Johnny Depp have, it is strange that they did not work together on Burton’s two Batman films, where Michael Keaton instead played the role. If you believe the uncorroborated rumours, however, it seems Burton did try to get Depp the part. While Burton and Depp were not familiar with each other in time for 1989’s Batman, by the time that the threequel Batman Forever came around they had worked together on both Edward Scissorhands and Ed Wood. Michael Keaton wanted to retire from the role so Warner Bros. were looking to recast. Burton, who was also bowing out of the series, apparently suggested they pick Depp to replace him. Fast forward a few years and many fans campaigned for Depp to play The Riddler in the Dark Knight trilogy. Neither the actor nor the character eventually appeared, however. 6) Pierce Brosnan The name’s Wayne. Bruce Wayne. Yes, Pierce Brosnan was one of the actors considered for the Caped Crusader before Michael Keaton signed on the dotted line. Apparently, the Irish actor laughed away the offer at the time, citing his belief that superheroes were silly. “It was the beginning of these huge movies, and I just thought, Batman?" Brosnan has since said. "Batman held such an indelible place in my own childhood, but I said something flippant to Tim Burton like, 'Any guy who wears his underpants outside his trousers cannot be taken seriously.' So, yeah." Brosnan probably isn’t too cut up about missing out on Batman, however. Playing that role would surely would have precluded him from being cast as that other gadget-laden hero for the ages, James Bond, in 1995’s Goldeneye. 5) Tom Hanks Tom Hanks has tried his hand – and pretty much succeeded every time – at a multitude of different roles over his distinguished career. Something he has never done, though, is appear in a superhero film - he has featured in a comic book movie, but that’s a different kettle of fish. He could have done so, however, if he had been chosen for Batman in Batman Forever. He was allegedly on a short list of actors to take over from Keaton that included Daniel Day-Lewis, Ethan Hawke and Baldwins Alec and William. Hanks reportedly turned down the role, and given how lacklustre Batman Forever turned out to be, he probably made the right choice. 4) Clint Eastwood If Tom Hanks is a surprising choice for Batman, then how about Clint Eastwood? The western icon is not the first person you would think of as a good fit for the role, but actually, he would be brilliant. You can easily imagine him asking the punks of Gotham if they feel lucky, can't you? According to movie legend, after Batman & Robin sunk without a trace, director Joel Schumacher tried to save the franchise by going in a completely different direction. He pitched the idea to Warner Bros. of adapting the classic graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns, featuring an older Batman coming out of retirement. The person deemed to fit this part best was Eastwood. However, he was never asked to play the role as the project quickly stalled. Since then, fans have called for him to play another version of an older Batman in a Batman Beyond movie. Sadly, the 86-year-old hasn't acted for a while. But, hey, maybe that could be the role to coax him out of retirement? 3) Josh Brolin Though Batman V Superman largely failed to excite fans, most agree that Ben Affleck’s turn as the Dark Knight was one of the highlights of the film. It’s ironic, then, that Affleck was a ridiculously controversial pick for the role when he was originally announced to be playing Batman. He also wasn’t the first choice for the character. Zack Snyder first turned to Josh Brolin for his grizzled take on Batman. Though they discussed the part, it was eventually decided by both that Brolin perhaps wasn’t the way to go. Here are the actor’s thoughts on the matter: “It just didn’t turn out. It’s OK. It is OK. You know, another scenario might have worked better, but I’m happy for Ben .” Brolin, of course, is already part of the DCEU’s big rival, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as big bad Thanos. Perhaps it was best that he just stayed with one side then. 2) Armie Hammer A few years ago, Armie Hammer seemed to be the next big thing, but roles in flops like The Lone Ranger and Mirror, Mirror put paid to that idea. If one of the most mouth-watering superhero films never made actually happened, though, his career might be very different right now. After the success of Batman Begins, Warner Bros. asked Mad Max director George Miller to helm a Justice League movie. Called Justice League: Mortal, it would have starred D.J. Cotrona as Superman, Megan Gale as Wonder Woman and Hammer as Batman. Once The Dark Knight became a mega success in 2008, however, the project was officially cancelled as it was thought that solo superhero films were clearly the way to go. Fast forward four years and The Avengers turned up. DC must have been kicking themselves. 1) Bill Murray When there’s something strange in the neighbourhood, who you gonna call? Batman, obviously. We’ve saved the weirdest until last with this one. Though it seems hard to believe, Bill Murray was apparently in the running to play Batman back in the 1980s. Before Tim Burton nabbed the director’s seat, Ghostbusters’ Ivan Reitman was set to helm the new Batman movie. Alongside the tantalizing idea of David Bowie as The Joker, Reitman wanted to cast his old collaborator Bill Murray as the Dark Knight. David Letterman asked the actor about the role in 2014, to which Murray didn’t elaborate on the details but simply said: “God, I would have been an awesome Batman.” Joking aside, Murray has proven his dramatic acting range in more recent years, so perhaps he isn’t as ridiculous a choice as he first seems to be. Actually, no, it’s still pretty crazy.