Veteran director Christopher Nolan and actor Josh Hartnett collided on the sets of Nolan’s 2023 magnum opus Oppenheimer. Hartnett, being known for starring opposite Ben Affleck in Pearl Harbor, found quite fame for starring in Nolan’s 2023 film.
There were rumors that before Christian Bale, the role of Batman in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy was offered to Josh Hartnett. In an interview, the director clarified that the rumor is false and it never went that far!
Josh Hartnett And Christopher Nolan Never Went That Far!
Before Christian Bale donned the iconic cape of Batman in Batman Begins, the world was impressed by Josh Hartnett’s acting in Michael Bay’s Pearl Harbor. Starring alongside Ben Affleck, the duo received much fame and appraisal and Hartnett surely looked the part of an unprepared Batman.
Naturally, rumors started circulating that Christopher Nolan approached Josh Hartnett to take on the role of Batman before it went to Christian Bale. Although there is some credibility to these rumors, they aren’t completely true. Speaking to Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused Podcast, the director revealed that what the rumors were stating is actually false.
“I met with Josh and if I recall, he was a young actor whose work I was very interested in. It never got that far…I had an initial conversation with him but he had read my brother’s script for ‘The Prestige’ at the time and was more interested in getting involved with that. So it never went further than that.”
On the other hand, Josh Hartnett made several allegations back in 2015 that Nolan doesn’t like to hear the word “no” and so when he refused the role of Batman, Hartnett was also removed from The Prestige.
Josh Hartnett Regrets Turning Down Christopher Nolan
The Prestige is an iconic film starring Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, and, Scarlett Johansson in the lead roles. Based on rivalry and magic, the movie is quite spectacular to witness. Although Josh Hartnett was interested in the movie, he wasn’t selected for the role, and in a 2015 interview with Playboy, Hartnett revealed the reason why.
“People don’t like being told no. I don’t like it. I learned my lesson when Christopher Nolan and I talked about Batman. I decided it wasn’t for me. Then he didn’t want to put me in ‘The Prestige.’ They not only hired their Batman for it [Christian Bale] but also hired my girlfriend [Scarlett Johansson] at the time.”
He further continued,
“That’s when I realized relationships were formed in the fire of that first Batman film and I should have been part of the relationship with this guy Nolan, who I felt was incredibly cool and very talented”
Well, it seems that there’s no bad blood between Nolan and Hartnett since the Pearl Harbor actor was seen portraying the role of Ernest Lawrence in Nolan’s Oppenheimer. Receiving high ratings, the 2023 magnum opus is available to rent on Apple TV+ in the U.S.
