Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy played the mad scientist Jonathan Crane aka Scarecrow in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises, but did you know that he originally auditioned for Batman? The role eventually went to Christian Bale, and so the director chose to give him the villain part.
Jonathan Crane appeared in The Dark Knight trilogy, earning him the title of a secondary antagonist in Batman Returns and a minor villain in the two succeeding films. Murphy has been a long-time friend and collaborator of Nolan, and reuniting for an interview, the duo took a trip down memory lane and relived their favorite moments.
Cillian Murphy Played Jonathan Crane In The Dark Knight Rises Without Knowing The Story
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Cillian Murphy confessed to never reading the entire The Dark Knight Rises script. He did not want to be spoiled, so he asked Christopher Nolan to only give him the parts he needed to deliver:
“I remember when you called, you said, ‘You want to read the script?’ and I said, ‘You know what, I don’t actually want to read the script. Just tell me what I’m doing, just tell me what my motivation is, and then I want to see the movie.’ I didn’t want to spoil it. So I just came in for that one day, did that little bit on that amazing set, and then waited to see the movie.”
He did the same strategy for Oppenheimer where he plays the inventor of the atomic bomb. Despite reading a lot, Murphy told The Guardian that he avoided studying any science:
“I’m interested in the man and what [inventing the atomic bomb] does to the individual. The mechanics of it, that’s not really for me – I don’t have the intellectual capability to understand them, but these contradictory characters are fascinating.”
Meanwhile, the Batman director shared his favorite Scarecrow scene:
“My favorite appearance of Scarecrow in the trilogy is definitely the kangaroo court scene [in The Dark Knight Rises] where he’s on top of that massive pile of desks. I just think, in a world of anarchy, the last judge you’d want to come in front of would be Jonathan Crane.”
Both Murphy and Nolan acknowledged the character as “the villain that never died,” saying he was just conveniently out of the screen for the time being. This would allow the director to just call up on Murphy and tell him to “put the sack over your head one last time.”
Cillian Murphy Will Always Be ‘One Call Away’ For Christopher Nolan
Cillian Murphy and Christopher Nolan have a longstanding friendship that is rare in Hollywood. The 47-year-old star told AP News that he will always be there for the director if he needs him:
“I have always said publicly and privately, to Chris, that if I’m available and you want me to be in a movie, I’m there. I don’t really care about the size of the part.”
So, despite not getting the role of Batman, Nolan suggested taking him as Scarecrow. They also collaborated in 2010’s Inception and 2017’s Dunkirk. The upcoming biographical thriller Oppenheimer will be Murphy’s first-ever lead role in a Nolan film, coming into theaters this July 21, 2023.
The Dark Knight trilogy is available on Max, Hulu, and Amazon Prime.
