Christopher Nolan solidified his filmmaking with his hit series, The Dark Knight Trilogy which not only gave him immense stardom and appraise but also became a crucial element in reviving the Batman franchise. However, this massive success was not something that was built in a day as he had done immense hard work that remained behind the reels. To think that his work would become an iconic masterpiece in the world of Batman is a real deal!
The trilogy gave a significant push not only to Nolan but also to the actor, Christian Bale who portrayed the role of Batman in the film. However, he was not the first one to be offered the role.
Josh Hartnett Was Offered to Play Batman in The Dark Knight Trilogy But He Turned It Down!
Josh Hartnett is among the talented actors who have shown his acting potential by working in different genres. He was also one of the actors that were considered to play the iconic role of the caped crusader in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy.
He was one of the three finalists that could have gone to play the role of Bruce Wayne aka Batman in the 2005 film, Batman Begins however he passed on the opportunity and chose smaller projects.
The actor told Playboy via Slashfilm that he was overwhelmed by the sudden stardom he received from 2001’s Pearl Harbor so when he got the offer to be the next Batman, he simply chose to turn it down.
He decided to go back to his family and took on small projects that would keep him out of the immense spotlight. However, he did regret his decision to turn down such an amazing opportunity especially working with Nolan.
Josh Hartnett Regretted His Decision to Turn Down The Batman Role
The 44-year-old actor later on remorse over his decision of turning down such a lucrative deal which not only would have made him the face of the film but also made his bond with Nolan better.
Back in 2017, the actor addressed the topic in an interview with Associated Press stating that he did have regret however it was a bit different as it involved the film director.
“I would welcome the opportunity to be in a relationship with a great artist in our film culture, no matter where they’re making films. In that instance, I think my regret mostly was not forming the friendship or the creative partnership with that director, more than it was [not] doing Batman.”
Though they were not able to work back in the 2000s, he finally got the chance to work with him in the upcoming film, Oppenheimer which will be released in the United Kingdom and United States on July 21, 2023.
Source: Associated Press
