Major Actors Who Turned Down a DC Role

Sometimes a role looks perfect on paper and still does not happen. Even in the world of DC, big names have walked away from suits, capes, and supervillain plans for reasons that came down to timing, creative direction, or long term career choices. The stories behind those decisions are interesting because they show how many moving parts go into getting any comic book project on screen.

Here are major actors who were in real conversations for DC characters and ultimately said no. You will see when the talks happened, what the offers looked like, and who stepped in afterward. It is a reminder that the version we see is often one of many that almost were.

Pierce Brosnan

Pierce Brosnan met about playing Batman for Tim Burton’s ‘Batman’ in the late 1980s and decided to pass. He has said the tone and concept did not click for him at the time and he moved on before casting closed.

Michael Keaton took the role and ‘Batman’ went before cameras with Burton’s darker take. Brosnan focused on features like ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ and later became James Bond, while DC built out its Gotham run through the 1990s with Keaton and then Val Kilmer.

Jude Law

Jude Law turned down the title role in the early 2000s ‘Superman: Flyby’ project after trying on a costume prototype during development. He chose not to commit as the script and director lineups continued to shift, and he stepped away before the film reached a greenlight.

Warner Bros. eventually pivoted to ‘Superman Returns’ with Brandon Routh in 2006. Law continued with projects like ‘Cold Mountain’ and ‘Closer’, while the studio kept testing different directions for the Man of Steel until Henry Cavill’s later era.

Josh Hartnett

Josh Hartnett declined offers to play both Superman and Batman in the early 2000s when studios were lining up long multi picture agreements. He opted to avoid long term franchise commitments at that point in his career.

Those decisions cleared the lane for Christian Bale to anchor ‘Batman Begins’ with Christopher Nolan, while Superman moved through different iterations until ‘Superman Returns’ and later ‘Man of Steel’. Hartnett focused on titles like ‘Lucky Number Slevin’ and later television work.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio met with Joel Schumacher about playing Robin in ‘Batman Forever’ and turned it down during pre production. He chose not to join the project and the production kept moving on a fast schedule.

Chris O’Donnell was cast as Robin and filmed alongside Val Kilmer’s Batman. DiCaprio continued with films like ‘The Basketball Diaries’ and then ‘Titanic’, while the DC series followed the brighter tone of the mid 1990s entries.

Ryan Gosling

Ryan Gosling was approached about playing the Joker during early talks for ‘Suicide Squad’ and walked away because of concerns around long term contract terms. The character required multiple future appearances and he did not sign on.

Jared Leto took the part for ‘Suicide Squad’ and the DC slate continued to evolve. Gosling went on to projects like ‘La La Land’ and ‘Blade Runner 2049’, while later DC entries shifted directions again under new leadership teams.

Jake Gyllenhaal

Jake Gyllenhaal passed on playing Rick Flag in ‘Suicide Squad’ after Tom Hardy exited the role during pre production. He considered the offer and decided not to join, which sent the filmmakers back to the casting board.

Joel Kinnaman was selected to play Rick Flag and the production stayed on its release timeline. Gyllenhaal moved to other work such as ‘Nocturnal Animals’ and ‘Stronger’, while DC continued to retool its lineup around the Squad.

Matt Damon

Matt Damon turned down the role of Harvey Dent in ‘The Dark Knight’ due to scheduling conflicts with another commitment at the time. The offer came during the casting window for Christopher Nolan’s sequel and he could not make the dates align.

Aaron Eckhart stepped into the role and filmed the arc that introduced Two Face to Nolan’s Gotham. Damon continued with his slate, including collaborations with Paul Greengrass and Clint Eastwood, while ‘The Dark Knight’ completed principal photography on schedule.

Heath Ledger

Before he became the Joker, Heath Ledger declined the chance to play Batman in ‘Batman Begins’. Christopher Nolan approached him early in development and Ledger chose not to pursue the lead.

Nolan later returned to Ledger for the Joker in ‘The Dark Knight’ and he accepted. Christian Bale remained as Batman and the production built the sequel around that contrast, which reshaped the direction of DC adaptations through the late 2000s.

Josh Brolin

Josh Brolin had discussions about playing Batman during the casting search that led to ‘Batman v Superman’. After conversations about tone and approach, he did not move forward with a deal.

Ben Affleck was cast as the new Batman and joined Henry Cavill’s Superman for the 2016 release. Brolin continued with other projects on his calendar while the DC timeline expanded into ensemble titles and spinouts.

Tom Hardy

Tom Hardy exited the role of Rick Flag in ‘Suicide Squad’ because of scheduling conflicts tied to ‘The Revenant’ and its press needs. The departure happened during the hectic window when production dates were locking.

The filmmakers recast with Joel Kinnaman and kept the shoot on track. Hardy focused on finishing and promoting ‘The Revenant’, then moved to projects like ‘Dunkirk’ and ‘Venom’, while DC refined plans for future Squad appearances.

Will Smith

Will Smith did not return as Deadshot for ‘The Suicide Squad’ because of calendar conflicts around the new ensemble’s production. The studio left the door open for a future return and chose not to recast the character in that film.

James Gunn filled the team with new faces like Bloodsport and kept the focus on a different mission. Smith continued with films like ‘Bad Boys for Life’ while Warner Bros. adjusted the lineup without Deadshot on the call sheet.

Michael Keaton

Michael Keaton declined to continue as Batman for ‘Batman Forever’ after creative changes shifted the series toward a lighter style. He stepped away during the handoff from Tim Burton to Joel Schumacher and closed his run after two films.

Val Kilmer took over the cowl for ‘Batman Forever’ and production moved to new sets and designs. Keaton focused on other work and later returned to DC much later in a separate multiverse storyline, which came after the studio revisited legacy timelines.

Christian Bale

Christian Bale turned down returning as Batman after the completion of Christopher Nolan’s trilogy. He stated his commitment was to that three film arc and he did not engage in later crossover plans.

Warner Bros. recast Batman for the shared universe plans that followed, starting with ‘Batman v Superman’. Bale continued with features like ‘American Hustle’ and ‘Ford v Ferrari’, while DC built new continuity around the next actor.

Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood said he was offered Superman during the late 1970s wave of casting and declined. He felt the character did not align with the kinds of roles he wanted at that time and chose not to enter negotiations.

The part went to Christopher Reeve and ‘Superman’ became a landmark release for comic book movies. Eastwood continued directing and acting in projects that matched his creative interests, while DC pushed forward with sequels through the early 1980s.

Jessica Biel

Jessica Biel was in talks to play Wonder Woman during mid 2000s development and stepped away before a deal was finalized. The project remained in flux with rotating scripts and directors and she chose not to commit.

Later, DC launched the character in a new era with Gal Gadot, beginning with ‘Batman v Superman’ and then a solo run. Biel moved on to a wide mix of film and television work while the studio charted a clear timeline for the Amazon’s big screen debut.

Share your favorite almost casting in the comments and tell us which of these choices surprised you most.