Jake Gyllenhaal almost played Batman in Christopher Nolan‘s trilogy!

One of the most eminent superheroes to grace the big screen, Batman has been played by many actors over the years including Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, and more recently, Ben Affleck and Robert Pattinson.

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On a recent episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, screenwriter David S. Goyer revealed that Jake was a frontrunner to play the titular character, aka Bruce Wayne, in 2005′s Batman Begins.

The role went to Christian Bale, but David said that he tapped Jake as his top choice.

“There were a number of people who had screen-tested, and I had advocated for Gyllenhaal,” he said. “I mean, Gyllenhaal is amazing, Christian Bale is amazing, so who knows what.”

David also confirmed that he believes footage exists of Jake donning a Batman suit during an audition.

Despite missing out on portraying Batman, Jake went on to appear in his first superhero film in 2019 when he played the villain Mysterio in Spider-Man: Far From Home.

David also noted that a Warner Bros. executive vouched for Leonardo DiCaprio to play The Riddler in a sequel to 2010′s The Dark Knight. However, David explained, “That’s not the way we work,” and that movies revolve around a story or theme rather than a villain.

The film’s eventual follow-up, The Dark Knight Rises, featured Tom Hardy as the film’s central villain, Bane.

Find out who else competed with Christian Bale to play Batman in The Dark Night trilogy!