The Big Picture

Robert Downey Jr. revealed that he met with Christopher Nolan for the Scarecrow role in Batman Begins but lost to Cillian Murphy. Downey knew during the meeting that Nolan didn’t fancy casting him in the role. Despite missing out on Batman Begins, Downey went on to have immense success as Iron Man in the MCU, while Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy is widely regarded as the best comic book adaptation in history.

There’s nothing quite like a domino effect in Hollywood. It’s been well reported by now that Cillian Murphy auditioned for the role of Bruce Wayne in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, only to get the role of the villain, Dr. Jonathan Crane, also known as the Scarecrow. That, in turn, led to Nolan eventually giving Murphy the lead role in one of his films with last year’s Oppenheimer, which may end up winning Murphy his first Oscar. But, that failed Batman audition has led to something even more fascinating.

In a new interview, Robert Downey Jr., Murphy’s Oppenheimer co-star revealed that he met with Nolan for the Scarecrow role but lost to Murphy. In a video shared by Griffin Schiller on X (Twitter) at the American Cinematheque presentation for Oppenheimer, Downey revealed that he met with Nolan to discuss the role, although he added that, while the meeting was cordial, he knew very quickly that Nolan really didn’t fancy casting him in the role. He said:

“And then I remember meeting him for tea and I was like, he doesn’t seem like he’s really leaning in on this interview. And he was polite and all that but you can tell when someone is kind of like, it’s not gonna go anywhere.”

Does Robert Downey Jr. Regret Missing Out on ‘Batman Begins’?

Obviously, history will show the decision was the best one for all parties. Downey went on to have immense success as Tony Stark/Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and became the highest-paid actor in Hollywood, while Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy is widely considered the finest comic book adaptation in history. Murphy and Downey sizzle together on-screen in their brief scenes together in Oppenheimer — their characters have distinctly different arcs — and nobody will complain about the choices made 20 years ago.

Oppenheimer features Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss, and he received the nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the 96th Academy Awards for his performance in the film. Downey is considered the clear frontrunner to take home his first statuette. Oppenheimer was nominated for a total of 13 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Nolan’s work on the film, and is considered the favorite to take home those prizes.

The Dark Knight Trilogy is available to stream on Max, while Oppenheimer is now available to stream on Peacock.

Oppenheimer The story of American scientist, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and his role in the development of the atomic bomb. Release Date July 21, 2023 Runtime 181 Main Genre Biography

Watch on Peacock