5 Could've-Been-Batman Actors Who Missed Their Chance
Perhaps they just didn't seem vengeful enough.
Today, there aren't many actors who wouldn't want to be in a superhero movie. With the rise of two highly competitive but equally profitable comic book cinematic universes, each project is becoming more successful than the other.
Although there are still many characters that have yet to be adapted to the big screen, directors and studios seem to be stuck on the same ones.
Superman, Spider-Man, X-Men, and of course, the one and only Batman, whose story has been told more times than you can count, but still leaves room for interpretation... and for more actors to try their hand at playing Bruce Wayne.
Here are 5 actors who tried to get the role of DC's famous billionaire superhero, but lost it at the end.
There are many fans who want to see Gyllenhaal reunite with his Brokeback Mountain co-star Heath Ledger on the big screen, but not many people know that it almost happened.
Christopher Nolan considered Jake as one of the possible choices for Bruce Wayne in The Dark Knight, but the role went to Christian Bale.
Willem Dafoe
While it's much easier to believe that Willem Dafoe would take on the role of the Joker, the actor once admitted in an MTV interview that he was considered for the role of Batman in Tim Burton's 1989 adaptation.
It's hard to imagine him playing anyone other than Superman these days, but before he landed the role, Cavill pursued the part of Batman in Christopher Nolan's adaptation.
We'd say it all happened for a reason, as both he and Christian Bale found their perfect roles in the end.
Nicholas Hoult
The only competitor against Robert Pattinson for Matt Reeves' The Batman was Nicholas Hoult, who already made his superhero debut as Beast in the X-Men movies.
The choice between two actors was tough, as Reeves and Warner Bros. executives recall spending a whole week before finalizing their decision.
Mel Gibson
Just like Willem Dafoe, Mel Gibson could've made an appearance in Tim Burton's movie. However, he was the one to turn down the part due to a schedule conflict with another big hit of his, Lethal Weapon 2.
