Josh Hartnett regrets turning down Christopher Nolan’s offer to play Batman

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

For every great role there's an actor or actress kicking themselves about turning it down. In a recent interview with Playboy actor Josh Hartnett revealed his regret at not accepting Christopher Nolan's offer to appear as Bruce Wayne/Batman in what would become BATMAN BEGINS.

I’ve definitely said no to some of the wrong people. I said no because I was tired and wanted to spend more time with my friends and family. That’s frowned upon in this industry. People don’t like being told no. I don’t like it. I learned my lesson when [writer-director] Christopher Nolan and I talked about Batman. I decided it wasn’t for me. Then he didn’t want to put me in The Prestige. They not only hired their Batman for it, they also hired my girlfriend at the time.

At the time Josh Hartnett was concerned about being typecast in only blockbuster type roles, which is why he ended up turning down Nolan's offer.

I was so focused on not being pigeonholed and so scared of being considered only one thing as an actor. I should have thought, Well, then, work harder, man. Watching Christian Bale go on to do so many other things has been just awesome. I mean, he’s been able to overcome that. Why couldn’t I see that at the time?

Christopher Nolan's trilogy of BATMAN BEGINS, THE DARK KNIGHT, and THE DARK KNIGHT RISES would go on to gross billions of dollars worldwide and elevate Christian Bale, the actor who did say yes to Christopher Nolan, to even greater heights of success. It's easy to look back on that and regret not being a part of it, but it did end up teaching Hartnett a lesson about not judging a role by its cape.

I know now that I wouldn’t turn something down just because it’s a superhero role.

While he may not be throwing on a cape and cowl, Josh Hartnett can be seen on Showtime's Penny Dreadful, which returns for its second season on May 3.

What say you? Would Josh Hartnett have made a good Batman? While we're at it, what superhero do you think he'd be a good fit for?