Hollywood A-lister, Mark Wahlberg known for his action roles and dramatic turns, has had a long and successful career. But even the best actors have near misses. For him, that almost meant suiting up as a superhero in a film not exactly known for its critical acclaim.
It is Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever. Schumacher helmed Batman Forever after Warner Bros. chose him in 1993 to take over from Tim Burton. The film was a stylistic departure from Burton’s Batman and Batman Returns.
Mark Wahlberg was in Talks for Robin Role in Batman Forever
In a recent interview with Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused, Mark Wahlberg revealed he was in talks with director Joel Schumacher to play Dick Grayson, also known as Robin, in the 1995 film Batman Forever. This movie (while commercially successful) is often considered one of the low points in the Batman franchise.
Wahlberg never officially signed on for the role of Robin. He confessed to having concerns about the film’s tone, which leaned heavily into campiness compared to Tim Burton‘s darker Batman movies. The 52-year-old went on to say:
“We met, quite a few times. We talked about it. I never got the official offer,” [further adding], “No, I am glad I didn’t get that offer.”
When Horowitz asked the Hollywood star if it would have been hard for him to turn down the offer, he just simply said, “Well, I could easily say, ‘Why would I ever do that?'”
Wahlberg seems unfazed by missing out on the role, particularly since Batman Forever and Batman & Robin weren’t as critically acclaimed as their predecessors.
His decision to skip the Schumacher-directed 1995 superhero flick may have been fortunate timing. The movie’s reputation isn’t stellar, and Wahlberg later found success in other roles.
Whether he would’ve been a good Robin is speculation, but missing out on the role didn’t harm his career. Though Robin didn’t happen, Monk D was also considered to play the Green Lantern/Hal Jordan. But he was not cast in the role.
Batman Forever Paved the Way for Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins
Following Tim Burton’s gothic Batman Returns, Batman Forever took a different direction with the franchise. The casting reflected this change, with George Clooney replacing Michael Keaton as Batman and Chris O’Donnell playing Robin.
The movie did well at the box office but got mixed reviews. Critics liked its action and visuals but felt the plot was weak and the tone didn’t fit with Burton’s style. This whole setback made Warner Bros. hesitant about Batman movies for a while.
Though not a total failure, it set the stage for a reboot with Christopher Nolan‘s Batman Begins in 2005. Nolan met the desire for a more serious Batman film by focusing on Caped Crusader’s origin story, psychological trauma, and a realistic portrayal of Gotham’s crime. That’s how Batman Begins brought critical and commercial success to the whole Batman series.
