Batman Begins: Christopher Nolan’s Amazing Method for Choosing a Movie Villain

It all started between Cillian Murphy and Christopher Nolan almost 20 years ago, when the former tried to fill the role of Bruce Wayne in the film Batman Begins, which the latter directed. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, via Variety, the two men revealed that they knew from their first conversation that Cillian Murphy would not be the new Batman at the time. But that didn’t stop Christopher Nolan from wanting the actress in his film at any cost.

“When we first talked, I think we both knew you weren’t going to play Batman– said Christopher Nolan. “But I really wanted to end up with you on the set, I wanted to spin you. We did these screen tests in a very subtle way, on 35mm, with a few people. There was just an electric atmosphere in the team when you started playing.“

Although Nolan had no intention of casting him as the Dark Knight at the time, he had one goal in mind: to audition for the role of the hero in front of studio executives so they could cast him. The villain of the movie, Scarecrow.

“We did two scenes—there was a Bruce Wayne scene and a Batman scene—and I made sure the executives came down and watched what you were doing on set. Everyone was so excited to see you play that when I said, “Okay, Christian Bale is Batman, but what about Killian playing the Scarecrow?”, there was no disagreement. All the previous Batman villains were played by huge movie stars: Jack Nicholson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Carrey, that sort of thing. It was a big step forward for them and it was really just based on this test. This is how you complete the Scarecrow game.“

Cillian Murphy’s Secret Dream

For Cillian Murphy, he wasn’t cut out to play Batman, but he remembers how he felt when he tried on the Batman suit.

“It was clear to me from the start that I didn’t have a Batman game.– said Cillian Murphy. “It seemed only right and fair that Christian Bale was cast for the role. But I remember trying on a suit and being guided by you. These tests had a high production cost.“

Cillian Murphy reprized his role as the villain in the Batman Begins sequels, The Dark Knight Rises and The Dark Knight Rises, and went on to work with the filmmaker on films such as Inception and Dunkirk. Oppenheimer’s upcoming film marks Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy’s sixth project, but more importantly, it’s Nolan’s first film with Murphy in the lead role.

“I’ve always told Chris publicly and privately that if I’m available and you want me in a movie, I’m there. I don’t really care about the size of the project. ” Murphy recently told the Associated Press. “But deep down, secretly, I was desperate for him to play a lead role… It was a good time to take on more responsibility. And it turned out to be huge.“

The long-awaited (and already very spectacular) Oppenheimer will hit our theaters on July 19, 2023.