Imagine a world where Cillian Murphy, not Christian Bale, was Gotham’s brooding protector. Well, that almost happened. Murphy was in the running for the role of Batman in Christopher Nolan’s iconic trilogy, but fate (and probably some serious physical requirements) had other ideas. In a GQ interview, Murphy opened up about almost taking the role and the surprising reason he thinks it was for the best.
Despite his serious acting chops, Murphy never thought he was the right guy for Batman. “Yes, I think it was for the best because we got Christian Bale’s performance, which is a stunning interpretation of that role,” he alluded. And here’s where it gets real—Murphy wasn’t just being humble. He straight-up didn’t see himself as the physical specimen needed for the job.
“I never considered myself as the right physical specimen for Batman,” he admitted. “To me, it was always going to be Christian Bale.” In other words, he knew Bale was the only one who could bring that iconic Batman energy, and Murphy was content playing a much darker role on the other side of the spectrum.
And while Murphy might’ve dodged the Batman bullet, he didn’t exactly end up slumming it. Instead, he was cast as the ultimate creepy villain, Dr. Jonathan Crane, a.k.a. The Scarecrow, in Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises. Talk about an unexpected pivot! He went from being in the running for Gotham’s hero to playing one of its most disturbing foes, and honestly, it’s hard to imagine anyone else playing Crane now. Murphy’s Scarecrow became a perfect foil to Bale’s Batman—he brought that unsettling vibe that made Gotham feel even more dangerous.
Of course, while we’re all sitting here wondering what could’ve been, Murphy is out here being a straight-up powerhouse in Oppenheimer, where he absolutely kills it as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist responsible for the atomic bomb. In a movie where every actor brings their A-game, Murphy’s performance still stands out. But let’s not get it twisted: Oppenheimer is not without its controversy.
One particular scene, where Oppenheimer recites the line, “Now, I am become Death, destroyer of the world,” from a Sanskrit text while getting it on with Florence Pugh’s character, has raised more than a few eyebrows. It’s Nolan—we’re used to being a little shaken up. Still, this hasn’t stopped Oppenheimer from raking in big numbers at the box office, even giving Barbie a run for its money.
But back to Batman. Murphy’s take on the Scarecrow might’ve been exactly what he was meant to do all along. He has no regrets on his end because he knows that sometimes fate doesn’t just take you to the biggest role—it takes you to the one that will make you unforgettable.
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