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If there is one actor who has left a defining mark on Hollywood before saying goodbye too soon, it is Heath Ledger. Not only did he stun everyone with his acting in movies likeBrokeback Mountain,but he also gave one of the best on-screen performances inThe Dark Knightas Joker. He was immaculate, menacing, and often terrifying as Joker. The portrayal also marked one of the few times when an antagonist overshadowed the protagonist.
But what if Heath Ledger, who received a posthumous Academy Award for his role inThe Dark Knight,never became the Joker in the first place? What if he was given the task of playing the Caped Crusader, instead? Well, that’s where things were headed in the first place. Director Christopher Nolan initially wanted Heath Ledger to play Batman inBatman Begins,but he was turned down by the actor. He simply didn’t want to be a part of the superhero world!
Also Read:Johnny Depp Reportedly Turned Down Christopher Nolan’s $2.4B The Dark Knight Trilogy Because of Heath Ledger
Christopher Nolan Wanted Heath Ledger to Play Batman
Also Read:“I want to show people what that is”: The Batman Star Barry Keoghan Hints He’s Spiralling Into Heath Ledger’s Insane Joker Preparation for Sequel
We all adoredChristian BaleinThe Dark Knighttrilogy. But ifChristopher Nolanhad gotten his way, the films might have ended up looking quite different. Why? Well, before giving the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman to Bale, Nolan had approachedHeath Ledgerfor the same. Yes, the same Ledger who ended up giving an iconic portrayal of Joker in the sequel.
In a Q&A session at New York City’s Lincoln Center Theater, Nolan talked about the time when he asked Ledger to play Batman inBatman Begins.While the actor was grateful for the opportunity, he didn’t want to do anything with a superhero film.
“He was quite gracious about it, but he said, ‘I would never take a part in a superhero film.”
So what changed the actor’s mind when he was once again approached to play the Joker? According to Nolan, Ledger realized that Nolan’s Batman films were not ordinary superhero flicks. This is why, when he was approached for the Joker, he immediately said yes to the role.
“I explained to him what I wanted to do with ‘Batman Begins’ and I think maybe he felt I achieved it…We cast him even before the script was written. So he had a very long time to obsess about it, think about what he was going to do, to really figure it out.”
We are gladBatman Beginswas able to turn Ledger’s mind around. After the mind-blowing performance by the actor as the Joker, can you even imagine someone else playing the character in the film? That’s gonna be a no from us!
Also Read:“I thought it was a mistake”: Christopher Nolan Became Afraid of Heath Ledger Despite Choosing Him for $1B Movie Against Fans’ Demands
What Heath Ledger Said About Playing The Joker
We have already established that Ledger wasn’t a fan of comic books. This is because, according to him, he grew up in a house of girls and he wasn’t exposed to Batman as much as needed to grow a liking. According to The Hollywood Reporter, despite all this, Ledger lovedBatman Beginsand decided to jump onThe Dark Knightbandwagon.
“The only reason I wasn’t [a fan of comic books was] I grew up in a household of girls. So there were very few Batman comic books lying around. There [was] mainly Archie. So that’s probably the only reason why I never grew up reading Batman. But I really loved Batman Begins, and the character of the Joker was just too good to turn down. …
So when Chris [Nolan] came to me — and I knew how Chris was — he had already set up the world for me. I’d seen what world it was that I would be playing in. So I knew it was open for a fresh interpretation. I also instantly kind of had something up my sleeve, which happened to be exactly what Chris was kind of looking for. We sat down and kind of shared ideas, and they were the same. So we just went with it.”
Ledger left the world in January 2008, just a few months before the release ofThe Dark Knight.Unfortunately, he couldn’t witness the world in awe of his performance as the Joker. What’s even more heartbreaking is that Ledger won his only Academy Award thanks to the role, but couldn’t receive it himself. His contributions to the entertainment industry can never be forgotten.
You can streamThe Dark Knighton HBO Max.
Source:Looper
Mishkaat Khan
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2256
A connoisseur of all things horror, fantasy, and the occasional chick flick, Mishkaat has been penning pieces for FandomWire since 2022. She started off as an intern and has worked her way up to a Senior Writer with over 2000 articles to her name.Outside of entertainment, she has also written well-researched medical content as a freelance writer and has experience in social media management.When not writing, you can find her relaxing with a romance novel and a tall glass of iced coffee in her hand or watching re-runs of ‘Supernatural’ and ‘The Office.’
