Batman is one of the most beloved superheroes in the world. Over the years, many different stars have played the Caped Crusader on the big screen: Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, the list goes on. On top of that, there are many more actors who auditioned for Batman and didn't get the part.
When the time comes to reboot Batman’s movie franchise, the producers cast a wide net in their search for the next Dark Knight. Plenty of actors have been considered for the part over the years; some perfect for the role and others terrible for it.
Updated on March 18th, 2022 by Ben Sherlock: With the release of Matt Reeves’ The Batman, fans have been treated to a new version of the Dark Knight. Robert Pattinson’s brooding take on Bruce Wayne is delightfully refreshing. This Batman doesn’t bother with the playboy facade and barely spends any time out of the Batsuit. Like Travis Bickle, he’s an insomniac vigilante charting his psychology through diary entries. Pattinson has done a fantastic job with the role. But, as always, he wasn’t the only casting choice.
Jon Hamm
According to MovieWeb, when doubt was cast on whether or not Ben Affleck would continue to play Batman in the DC Extended Universe, Jon Hamm lobbied to replace him.
Affleck’s casting stirred up massive controversy among the DC Comics fan base. But, as usual, the actor whose casting was criticized by fans ended up being widely praised for his performance.
Henry Cavill
According to CinemaBlend, a few years before Zack Snyder cast him as Superman in the DCEU, Henry Cavill auditioned to play Batman for Christopher Nolan. Of course, he lost the role to Christian Bale.
The darker, grittier version of the Man of Steel that Cavill played in Snyder’s movies was criticized for evoking the cynicism of Batman more than the unwavering optimism of Superman. He’s reluctant to use his powers to save people and he even kills without much provocation.
Kurt Russell
George Clooney played Bruce Wayne in Batman & Robin and has since apologized for the movie a bunch of times and confessed to killing the franchise (although that can mostly be blamed on his director, Joel Schumacher). According to the L.A. Times, before Clooney was cast, the producers considered Kurt Russell for the role.
Given Schumacher's campy tone, Russell’s Batman probably would’ve been more akin to Jack Burton from Big Trouble in Little China than Snake Plissken from Escape from New York. The X-Files’ David Duchovny was also considered.
Willem Dafoe
When the rumors circulated that Tim Burton had been in touch with Willem Dafoe about casting him in his first Batman movie, fans naturally speculated that Dafoe was considered for the role of the Joker.
But the actor told MTV News that he was actually under consideration for the role of Batman himself: “Very early, they talked to me about playing Batman.”
Ethan Hawke
When Michael Keaton turned down the chance to star in a third Batman film, Warner Bros. had to recast the role in time for Batman Forever. The producers offered the role to Ethan Hawke, but he turned it down, fearing that playing the Caped Crusader would lead to typecasting.
According to Collider, Hawke has since expressed regret over his decision because playing Batman would’ve opened a lot of doors for his career.
Jake Gyllenhaal
Pattinson’s dark, brooding turn in The Batman evokes Jake Gyllenhaal’s edgiest performances from movies like Donnie Darko and Nightcrawler. According to CinemaBlend, Gyllenhaal was one of the actors considered for Bruce Wayne when Christopher Nolan was envisioning his groundbreaking reboot.
If Gyllenhaal had played Bruce in Nolan’s trilogy, he would’ve been reunited with his Brokeback Mountain co-star Heath Ledger for a decidedly less romantic dynamic in The Dark Knight.
Pierce Brosnan
When Tim Burton’s first Batman movie was in development, the producers’ top choice for the role of Bruce Wayne was Pierce Brosnan. However, according to The Guardian, Brosnan wasn’t interested in playing a comic book character, so he turned down the part.
When Michael Keaton was cast, Batman fans were horrified by the decision to cast an actor known primarily for starring in comedies, and the studio received thousands of complaint letters. Keaton, of course, proved the naysayers wrong with a definitive portrayal of Bruce Wayne.
Cillian Murphy
During Christopher Nolan’s search for the perfect Bruce Wayne, Cillian Murphy was up for the part. According to Den of Geek, Murphy did an audition for the role. Nolan didn’t think Murphy was right for Bruce (and neither did Murphy himself), so he was cast as the Scarecrow instead.
This is one of many examples of an actor auditioning to play a superhero before being cast as the villain. Tom Hiddleston auditioned to play Thor before being cast as Loki; James Franco auditioned to play Peter Parker before being cast as Harry Osborn.
Josh Brolin
According to Collider, No Country for Old Men’s Josh Brolin was offered the role of Bruce Wayne in the DCEU’s Batman v Superman before Ben Affleck was cast.
Scott Adkins also auditioned for the part, and the producers reportedly considered Richard Armitage, Luke Evans, and Orlando Bloom for the role, too.
William Baldwin
When Warner Bros. was tasked with recasting the role of Bruce Wayne after Michael Keaton decided not to star in a third Batman movie, the studio offered the part to William Baldwin (according to the L.A. Times).
Before Val Kilmer was chosen, the producers also looked at Baldwin’s brother Alec Baldwin, as well as Daniel Day-Lewis, Johnny Depp, Ralph Fiennes, Tom Hanks, and Keanu Reeves.
Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson was offered the role of Bruce Wayne in Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman movie, but according to E!, he had to turn it down as he’d already signed on to reprise his role as Martin Riggs in Lethal Weapon 2.
Before Michael Keaton was eventually cast, Kevin Costner, Harrison Ford, Dennis Quaid, Tom Selleck, and Charlie Sheen were all considered.
Bill Murray
When Tim Burton cast Michael Keaton as Batman, he was criticized for choosing a traditionally comedic actor to play the Dark Knight. But the part was almost played by an even more comedically driven performer.
According to CinemaBlend, a decade before Burton took the helm and reimagined the Bat mythos with a darker, gloomier tone, the studio hired Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman to helm the movie as a comedy in the Adam West tradition. The project never materialized, but Bill Murray was considered to play Batman.
Heath Ledger
When Batman Begins was first in development, according to NME, Heath Ledger auditioned to play Bruce Wayne. Christopher Nolan, and later even Ledger himself, felt that he wasn’t right for the role of Batman, but the director kept him in mind and cast him as the Joker in The Dark Knight instead.
Fans were initially up in arms over Ledger’s casting as the Joker, but Nolan could see that there was an unseen range to Ledger’s talent and that he’d make a fantastic Clown Prince of Crime.
Nicholas Hoult
Usually, when a new Batman is being cast, the producers throw out a wide net and see as many candidates as possible. But since Matt Reeves had a clear vision of the young, inexperienced Bruce Wayne he wanted to capture, his casting shortlist for The Batman only had two names on it: Robert Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult.
According to Collider, Pattinson and Hoult both auditioned for the role in an old Batsuit. Hoult previously played Beast in the X-Men movies. Reeves and Warner Bros. executives spent the week after Memorial Day contemplating the two actors before settling on Pattinson.