Batman has dominated movie screens since at least 1989. An there have been some major players vying for the role ever since. Ben Affleck put it best: “Batmanis the Greatest Part in the World.” In the summer of 2017, the actor and Oscar winning screenwriter and director shrugged off rumors he was set to exit the DCEU, as work continued on Zack Snyder’sJustice League. But what if someone else was coming in to take over the role. Who would it be?
Battfleckturned out to be the best received part ofBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which reintroduced the Caped Crusader to movie going audiences, following the critical and box-office success of Christopher Nolan’sDark Knighttrilogy. There have been numerous big screen versions of Gotham City’s vigilante since he made his debut in Detective Comics and even more false starts and abandoned projects. Today, we’re looking at 10 actors who were almost batman.
12Bill Murray
Michael Keaton made such a fantastic caped crusader in Tim Burton’s 1989Batmanand its sequel, 1992’sBatman Returns, it’s almost hard to remember that he was viewed primarily as a comedic actor at the time of his casting. I mean, this guy wasMr. Mom. He wasBeetlejuice. How could we ever see him as Bruce Wayne, let alone Batman? Now attempt to imagine Bill Murray in the cape and cowl. Who knows? Given his tremendous acting chops, it’s quite possible he’d have pulled it off as well as Keaton. In the mid-1980s, Warner Bros. developed aBatmanfilm withGhostbustersdirector Ivan Reitman, rumored to star Murray alongside another SNL veteran, Eddie Murphy, as Robin. Murray remained in consideration when Burton came aboard.
11Charlie Sheen
Years beforeTwo and a Half Menand all of his tabloid shenanigans,Charlie Sheenwas riding high on the success ofPlatoon,Young Guns, andWall Street. Tim Burton was deadset on putting hisBeetlejuicestar in the lead role, but Warner Bros. of course would have preferred a much bigger name, with Sheen high on their list.
10Tom Selleck
Speaking of much bigger stars,Tom Selleckwas also reportedly on the studio’s list, after Mel Gibson passed onBatmandue to his commitments withLethal Weapon 2. Selleck missed the chance to playIndiana Jones, too, and evenHan Solobefore that. But he did star in one of the coolest shows of all time,Magnum P.I., cementing a legacy as an iconic hero grounded in a world devoid of Sith Lords and Harley Quinn.
9Tom Hanks
Like Bill Murray and Michael Keaton,Tom Hankswas once known primarily for comedy, from TV’sBosom BuddiestoSplash,Bachelor Party,The Man with One Red Shoe,The Money Pit,Nothing in Common,Dragnet, andBig, among other roles. But he was reportedly in consideration for Tim Burton’s 1989Batmanand then again for Joel Schumacher’sBatman Forever, released the year afterForrest Gump.
8Johnny Depp
After Michael Keaton’s exit from the franchise, Burton pushed hard to see another of his frequent collaborators in the role.Johnny Deppwas 30 years old at the time, but far from a bankable movie star. In a 2009 interview with ComicBookMovie.com, Depp revealed that he was very interested in suiting up forBatman Forever. “What happened was Tim was producing it and he was trying to talk Joel Schumacher and the movie bosses to give me a shot at the role, but it just never worked out.”
7Jake Gyllenhaal
Jake Gyllenhaal nearly stepped in forSpider-Man 2after a back injury threatened to sideline Tobey Maguire. It’s not the only near miss with superhero stardom in the actor’s career. He was one of the young hopefuls in talks for what becameBatman Begins, after years of false starts and developmental misfires with theBatmanfranchise after the disastrousBatman & Robinled the studio to the reboot route.
6Joshua Jackson
Oddly enough, Christian Bale was one of the actors toward the top of the list forBatman: Year One, which the studio nearly made with Darren Aronofsky, from a script by the director and the author of the source material, Frank Miller. As that project evolved intoBatman Begins, Joshua Jackson from TV’sDawson’s Creekwas one of the guys producers considered for the role that ultimately returned to Bale.
5Cillian Murphy
Cillian Murphy was on the shortlist forBatman, too. The Irish actor and star of TV’s gangster dramaPeaky Blindersoriginally auditioned for the lead role inBatman Begins. Nolan did end up casting him, as Rogues Gallery mainstay The Scarecrow.
4Heath Ledger
Murphy wasn’t the only actor who could have been Batman but ended up as a series villain instead. Heath Ledger, of course, won much-deserved posthumous Oscar for his scene stealing portrayal of Batman’s best-known villain, The Joker. But in 2005, before Christian Bale had joined the cast, Ledger was one of the guys up for the role. He madeBrokeback Mountaininstead, which earned him his first Oscar nomination.
3Armie Hammer
George Miller’sJustice League Mortalcame so close to getting made, there’s even a documentary about the process. The entire cast was in place, including Armie Hammer as Batman. Though the movie was eventually cancelled, George Miller moved onMad Max: Fury Road, so all’s well that ends well, right? At one point,Armie Hammerwas reportedly in consideration forBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
