Robert Downey Jr. Reveals Lost Role to Cillian Murphy Years Ago
Robert Downey Jr. was Almost Cast in “Batman Begins” alongside Christian Bale
In a recent revelation, it was unveiled that Robert Downey Jr. was one of the casting candidates for the iconic role of Batman in Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins”. The actor, who is best known for his portrayal of Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, disclosed this information during an American Cinematheque panel he attended last weekend.
Downey Jr. disclosed that in addition to being considered for the role of Batman, he was also in the running for the role of Jonathan Crane, also known as Scarecrow, which was eventually portrayed by Cillian Murphy. Interestingly, during the casting process, Murphy also lost the role of Batman to Christian Bale, who ultimately went on to play the Caped Crusader in the film and its sequels.
The actor revealed that he had met with Christopher Nolan for the role but felt that the director was not very receptive during their meeting. However, this missed opportunity did not hinder Downey Jr.’s rise to fame, as just three years later, he would go on to star as Iron Man in the film that launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “Iron Man” proved to be a massive success at the box office, ultimately surpassing Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” in terms of box office earnings.
Both “Batman Begins” and “Iron Man” became influential in shaping the superhero genre and went on to spawn successful film franchises. While it’s intriguing to imagine Downey Jr. donning the cape and cowl in Nolan’s Batman universe, it’s safe to say that things worked out just fine for the actor in the end.
