There’s always been rumblings about alternative castings from the Christopher Nolan-era Batman films. Josh Hartnett was up for the Bruce Wayne/Batman role, while various alternate names have been floated for other takes on some villains. But did you know Robert Downey Jr. was in the running for the Scarecrow?
Decades before he took on the Oscar-nominated role of Lewis Strauss in 2023’s Oppenheimer, RDJ reveals he met with Nolan for Batman Begins auditions.
While appearing for an American Cinematheque panel, Downey Jr. confirmed he met with Nolan for the role of Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow in the film. He said that while Nolan “was polite,” it didn’t “seem like he’s leaning in on this interview.”
As we know, the part ultimately went to his Oppenheimer co-star, Cillian Murphy. It’s ironic, as Murphy would get that role after failing to nab the titular Batman gig.
Robert Downey Jr. would eventually find his way into the superhero landscape by landing the now-iconic role of Tony Stark in the first Iron Man film, which came out the same year as 2008’s The Dark Knight.
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer leads this year’s Academy Awards, racking up 13 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Cillian Murphy), and Best Supporting Actor for RDJ. At the time of writing, he’s hailed the frontrunner for the award.
Written for the screen and directed by Christopher Nolan, OPPENHEIMER, thrusts audiences into the mind of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), whose landmark work as the director of the Manhattan Project’s Los Alamos Laboratory created the first atomic bomb.
Starring alongside Cillian Murphy’s titular scientist are Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Rami Malek, Benny Safdie, Josh Hartnett, Dane DeHaan, Casey Affleck, Jack Quaid, Matthew Modine, Dylan Arnold, David Krumholtz, Alden Ehrenreich, David Dastmalchian, Olli Haaskivi, Jason Clarke, James D’Arcy, Michael Angarano, Guy Burnet, Danny Deferrari, Matthias Schweighöfer, Gary Oldman, Harrison Gilbertson, Emma Dumont, Devon Bostick, Trond Fausa, Christopher Denham and Josh Zuckerman.
Originally published February 5, 2024. Updated February 6, 2024.
