Known for his skills in the early 2000s and 2010s, Josh Hartnett was one of the emerging names in the Hollywood industry, especially for his amazing performance in 2001’s hit film Pearl Harbor. The star has since made several appearances in many other movies, including the recent 2021 release Wrath Of Man alongside Jason Statham.
While he might’ve gained a significant amount of success in the industry now, his name could’ve reached even greater heights if would’ve taken the role of Bruce Wayne in Christopher Nolan’s The Drak Knight trilogy. But not only did he miss the opportunity, but his attempt to get into another one of Nolan’s works also didn’t work out afterward.
Josh Hartnett Couldn’t Get A Role In Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige After Declining The Dark Knight Trilogy
As many of his fans and even the audience might’ve noticed after so many of his films, director Christopher Nolan has a tendency to stick with stars that he has experienced working in the past with. Whether it may be Christian Bale or the famous Cillian Murphy, if they are able to make an impression on the Dunkirk creator, then they will always be kept in high regard by him. This was something that Josh Hartnett couldn’t foresee when he declined to become Bruce Wayne in The Dark Knight trilogy, something that cost him another film in his career.
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During an interview with Playboy Magazine, Hartnett opened up about how he was chosen by Nolan to become Batman in the first film of his trilogy Batman Begins. He revealed that he was offered the role before Christian Bale, who eventually became the Dark Knight in the trilogy. He said that the reason why he denied the role was that he was afraid to be recognized in his career as just the character he portrayed rather than as an individual actor. But later, he would come to regret this decision as Bale went on to star in another one of Nolan’s films. He said:
“I decided [Batman] wasn’t for me. Then he didn’t want to put me in The Prestige. They not only hired their Batman for it, they also hired my girlfriend [Scarlett Johansson] at the time. That’s when I realised 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.”
Thus, after not getting the role in The Prestige, he realized that the formation of bonds and relationships in the Hollywood industry can give your career a boost in due time.
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How Christian Bale Eventually Became Batman!
While Christian Bale might be revered as one of the best depictions of the vigilante of Gotham City, the chances of him getting to play the role of Bruce Wayne was like a destiny call for him. Before Nolan finally chose his Dark Knight in the American Psycho star, he had considered many actors before him such as Matt Damon, Josh Hartnett, and even Heath Ledger, the star who eventually would be revered as one of the greatest stars for representing Batman’s arch-nemesis The Joker in any form of visual media.
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Batman Begins, streaming on HBO Max
Source: Independent
