When Christopher Nolan Chose Cillian Murphy Over Robert Downey Jr. For Batman Begins

Do you know actor Robert Downey Jr. had been manifesting to work with the legendary director Christopher Nolan for many years? In a recent career retrospective interview at Los Angeles’ American Cinematheque Theater, Robert Downey Jr. shared his memories of meeting Christopher Nolan and his attempts to bag a role in his much-loved and critically acclaimed film, Batman Begins. He shared that he met Nolan to discuss the possibility of portraying the iconic villain Scarecrow in Batman Begins.

Downey Jr. recalled his initial enthusiasm, saying, “I’m pretty sure I heard about (this role) and I was like, ‘I’m Scarecrow.'”

However, during the meeting, he sensed that Nolan wasn’t fully invested, noting, “He doesn’t seem like he’s really in on this interview.” Despite Nolan’s polite demeanor, Downey Jr. could tell that “It’s not going to go anywhere.”

Watch a glimpse of the interview here:

Ultimately, Nolan chose to cast Cillian Murphy as Scarecrow, marking the beginning of a collaborative relationship that would span multiple films. Murphy, who initially expressed interest in portraying Batman, acknowledged that both he and Nolan knew early on that he wasn’t suited for the role, reports Variety.

Reflecting on the experience, Murphy said, “It was clear to me from the beginning that I wasn’t Batman material.” However, he fondly remembered the screen tests, saying, “I remember the buzz of trying on the suit and being directed by you. Those tests were high production values.”

Nolan, eager to work with Murphy despite not casting him as Batman, arranged elaborate screen tests to showcase Murphy’s talents. Describing the process, Nolan explained, “We did those screen tests very elaborately, on 35mm, with a little set.” The enthusiasm of the crew was in full swing, with Nolan recalling, “There was just an electric atmosphere in the crew when you started to perform,” informs Variety.

Talking about the casting decision, Nolan highlighted the impact of Murphy’s screen tests, saying, “Everybody was so excited by watching you perform.” He leveraged this excitement to propose Murphy for the role of Scarecrow, despite the tradition of casting established movie stars in Batman villain roles.

Nolan recounted, “I then said to them, ‘Okay, Christian Bale is Batman, but what about Cillian to play Scarecrow?’ There was no dissent.”

Years later, Nolan, Murphy, and Downey Jr. reunited for the much-praised film biographical film, Oppenheimer, a project that has garnered critical acclaim and earned each of them Oscar nominations.