Gary Oldman thinks he might’ve been eyed for the role of Scarecrow prior to being cast as Jim Gordon in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins.
Speaking with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Oldman was asked if there was any truth to the rumors that he was initially being looked at to play Ra’s al Ghul, who was ultimately portrayed by Liam Neeson in 2005’s Batman Begins.
“I got a feeling it was Scarecrow,” Oldman answered. “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, ‘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.”
The role of Scarecrow ultimately went to Cillian Murphy, who then briefly reprised the role in both 2008’s The Dark Knight and 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises, both of which were also directed by Nolan. Oldman appeared as Gordon in all three films, while the trilogy’s cast also included Christian Bale as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth, Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, and Katie Holmes and Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes.
Neeson also briefly reprised his role as Ra’s al Ghul for a cameo appearance in The Dark Knight Rises.
What other movies has Gary Oldman been in?
Along with the Batman movies, Oldman also made a brief appearance in Nolan’s Oppenheimer, which was released in United States theaters in July 2023. He’s additionally known for playing Sirius Black in the Harry Potter franchise, Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg in Luc Besson’s The Fifth Element, Dreyfus in 2014’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and more.
Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises are all currently streaming on Max.
