Gary Oldman left his mark in comic book history with his role as Jim Gordon in the first chapter of the Dark Knight trilogy, titled Batman Begins. However, Oldman was almost cast as one of the franchise’s most iconic villains.
It’s hard to imagine anyone other than Gary Oldman playing Jim Gordon in the Nolan-verse Batman films. However, it seems fans were close to living in a universe where he played one of the most prominent villains of the Dark Knight trilogy. During a recent podcast appearance, the actor revealed that he was originally approached to play Scarecrow in the film:
“I got a feeling it was Scarecrow,” Gary Oldman explained when speaking to the Happy Sad Confused podcast. “That was about the time when I was sort of thinking I’ve had enough of [playing villains]. I think it was my manager who suggested to Chris [Nolan], ‘What about Jim Gordon?’ And, to his credit, Chris went, ‘Hm, that’s interesting.’ We met and that’s how it sort of came about. But I think it might be Scarecrow.”
Luckily, history played out as it did, with Gary Oldman landing the role of Jim Gordon and the ever-talented Cillian Murphy playing Scarecrow in subsequent films. One could only imagine how different Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy would have been with the change. Though perhaps it’s time to turn it into a reality with some fan art!
The future of the DC Universe
James Gunn and Peter Safran told journalists that their vision for the DC Universe includes locked scripts, wiggle room, and a unified storyline across film, television, animation, and video game projects. The two explained that the DC Universe could bring back elements from previous DC regimes, meaning that their eight-to-year plan is not a full reboot.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom have all been released following the announcement of the new DC Universe, all four projects struggling at the box office. Will the characters from those movies make appearances in the new DCU? Only Gunn and Safran know.
Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the future of the DC Universe after Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom!
