Robert Downey Jr almost played a villain in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy - Do you know which one?

As we continue to praise, re-watch, and obsess over The Dark Knight trilogy, starring Christian Bale as Batman and directed by the maverick Christopher Nolan, there are always trivia and facts that blow our minds. The trilogy, which centers around Bruce Wayne and life in Gotham, turned out to be a game-changer for the character and is still regarded as one of the most iconic takes on the Caped Crusader. Casting trivia about The Dark Knight trilogy makes headlines every now and then, and we always find something to be shocked about. While we know Jake Gyllenhaal was considered for Batman, and even Heath Ledger was almost hired as Bruce Wayne before Bale took the role, did you know Robert Downey Jr. was eyed to play a villain in the movie?

Robert Downey Jr. Was Offered a Villain Role?

Batman Begins marked the start of the trilogy that would go on to change the course of the franchise. The filmmakers were careful with each decision, ensuring that every choice was made with great attention. When it came to casting their villains, they wanted to hire the best actors. Interestingly, when Robert Downey Jr. was not yet Iron Man in the MCU, he was offered the role of Scarecrow in Batman Begins. While RDJ didn’t end up playing the part, it’s fascinating to know that he was even considered.

To give you some context, at the time, Robert Downey Jr. had not yet become Iron Man in the MCU. The role of Scarecrow, aka Dr. Jonathan Crane, was offered to him for Batman Begins. However, he turned it down, and the role eventually went to Cillian Murphy, who was widely praised for his portrayal of the character. Had RDJ taken the part, he might have missed out on the opportunity to play Iron Man in the MCU, as his contract could have barred him from taking on another superhero role.

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Christopher Nolan Reveals He Was Intimidated by Robert Downey Jr.

According to Variety, Christopher Nolan recently revealed that he was intimidated when he first met Robert Downey Jr., back when he was offering him the role of Scarecrow in Batman Begins. Robert Downey Jr. has since worked with Nolan on Oppenheimer, which ironically stars Cillian Murphy in the lead role. During a conversation with RDJ, Nolan shared this story.

“I 100% knew you weren’t the guy [for Scarecrow]. In my head, that was already cast. But I always wanted to meet you … I was a huge admirer of yours and therefore selfishly just wanted to take the meeting. But I was also a little afraid of you, you know. I had heard all kinds of stories about how you were crazy. It was only a few years after the last of those stories had come out about you,” Nolan said.

The Dark Knight trilogy is now streaming on JioCinema in India. Stay tuned to OTTplay for more information on this and everything else from the world of streaming and films.

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