Superhero films are commercial and cultural juggernauts that most if not all actors want to board. The fanfare and box-office success of playing superheroes on the big screen is not unknown to the biggest stars in Hollywood. However, only a select few were lucky to be cast as Batman and became the defining Caped Crusader for a whole generation.
On the other hand, some actors went down a different path as they ended up playing villains despite initially vying for the role of the Dark Knight. Here are five actors, including the likes of Heath Ledger and Cillian Murphy, who originally wanted to play popular superheroes before deciding to play Batman villains, cementing an iconic status in their own right.
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1. Cillian Murphy
Cillian Murphy is the hottest name in Hollywood thanks to his brilliant performance as J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. However, in the early stages of his career, Murphy was in contention to play Bruce Wayne / Batman in Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy. While Murphy auditioned for the part, he lost to Christian Bale. Instead, Murphy was cast as Scarecrow in the trilogy, leaving an undeniable mark with limited screen time.
2. Colin Farrell
Colin Farrell was not just impressive but also baffled viewers with his scintillating portrayal of comic book villain Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot / Penguin in Matt Reeves’s The Batman. However, years before he became the villain from Batman’s rouge gallery, Farrell was reportedly in line to play the Caped Crusader himself. Farrell was expected to star as Batman in a planned Superman/Batman crossover movie in the early 2000s, but the project was scrapped.
3. Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s iconic status as an action hero should have translated well into a superhero role. However, such a casting did not come to fruition but there was no lack of trying on The Terminator star’s part. Schwarzenegger lobbied hard for the part of Clark Kent / Superman in Richard Donner’s 1978 film Superman. While Schwarzenegger did not land the role, he would play Mr. Freeze in 1997’s critically panned Batman & Robin.
4. Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Phoenix is indistinguishable from the role of Arthur Fleck / Joker thanks to his Academy Award-winning performance in 2019’s Joker directed by Todd Phillips. However, before taking on the role, Phoenix was serious about playing a superhero. The actor was reportedly in negotiations to join the MCU as Doctor Strange back when a solo film centering on the character was in development. However, negotiations fell through and Phoenix went on to reinvent one of the most iconic villains in comic book history.
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5. Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger is synonymous with the role of Joker even more so than Joaquin Phoenix. The late actor’s scathing and terrifying portrayal of the complex villain in The Dark Knight is among one of the best antagonistic performances in cinema history. However, when Christopher Nolan was still developing the trilogy’s first installment, the director discussed the role of Batman with Ledger, who did not want to participate in superhero films at the time. Nonetheless, Ledger’s mind changed after Batman Begins, and he immortalized himself as Batman’s archnemesis with his performance as the Clown Prince of Crime in the sequel.
