Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. has dropped the bombshell that he met with Christopher Nolan to play Scarecrow in Batman Begins.
While promoting Nolan’s latest blockbuster Oppenheimer at the American Cinematheque, Downey discussed a time when he was discussing the villain role with the director. However, Downey recounts that Nolan did not seem particularly enthused to cast him for the part.
Then I remember meeting him for tea and I was like, he doesn’t seem like he’s really leaning in on this interview. He was polite and all that but you can tell when someone is kind of like, it’s not gonna go anywhere.”
Check out the video clip of Downey recounting the meeting below.
RDJ dropping BOMBS at the @am_cinematheque conversation. He apparently met w/Nolan for SCARECROW for Batman Begins only to be beat out by Cillian Murphy. Woah! #Oppenheimer pic.twitter.com/zBE9tts47E
— Griffin Schiller (@griffschiller) February 4, 2024
Robert Downey Jr. Loses Out to Cillian Murphy
Bat fans know that Cillian Murphy ultimately played Scarecrow across all three movies of the Dark Knight trilogy. The irony is that Murphy didn’t even audition for the part and originally read for Batman. That is an amusing anecdote in itself where Nolan “tricked” studio executives into giving Murphy the Scarecrow role.
Of course, fans shouldn’t feel too sorry for Robert Downey Jr., as only a couple of years after losing out on Batman Begins, Marvel Studios cast him to play the iconic role of Tony Stark/ Iron Man. So perhaps it was meant to be that shouldn’t have played The Scarecrow.
Wouldn’t it be super cool to at least imagine Downey’s take on the character, though? Would he play it with the same level of intensity as Murphy? Would Downey have been able to insert some of his snark into the role? Somewhere in the multiverse lie the answers.
Source: Collider.com
Images and video content may be subject to copyright
