When it comes to superhero movie casting, history is rife with "almosts" and "what-ifs." From Tom Cruise's potential run as Iron Man to Dougray Scott originally being cast as Wolverine until Hugh Jackman was cast last minute, cinematic universes could have looked very different had some actors made alternative choices. In the realm of Gotham's brooding vigilante, Batman has been portrayed by a myriad of actors, from Michael Keaton to Ben Affleck. However, fans recently got a startling revelation about a major actor who had the opportunity to don the cape and cowl but turned it down. Ray Liotta, the esteemed late star of Goodfellas and Field of Dreams, once had the chance to be the Dark Knight, and his reason for turning it down is both candid and retrospectively regretful.
The revelation came in an uncovered interview with Deadline, shedding light on Liotta's decision-making during the rise of his stardom in the late 1980s. The topic of upcoming superhero movies and changes in Hollywood brought the conversation to why the charismatic actor never took a role in one was brought up, and Liotta’s answer might surprise those who have always envisioned him as a potential Bruce Wayne. When asked whether or not he was ever offered the role, he told the interviewer:
Something Wild came out, so I was getting attention from that. My agent called me up and said, ‘Tim Burton would like to meet you. He’s doing a movie, Batman.’ There were never any superhero movies then. That was pretty much the first one. I said, ‘Are you fucking nuts? Batman?!’ I’m going, ‘No, that’s stupid.’ Who was stupid? I was stupid because I didn’t know.
Liotta's decision to pass on the Caped Crusader wasn't just about his doubts regarding the new superhero genre. At the time, many remembered Batman as Adam West's cloth-clad Batusi dance-loving version of the character. The late '80s had yet to see the superhero boom we know today.
Of course, hindsight is 20/20, and Batman (1989) would go on to become a massive hit, solidifying both Tim Burton's vision and Michael Keaton's legacy as the Dark Knight; where nearly 40 years later, we witnessed the aging actor return to the role in The Flash (as well as long passed actors like Adam West and Christopher Reeve) to fill all us '80s and '90s babies with stomachs full of nostalgia. It's both amusing and a tad heartbreaking to imagine Liotta's distinctive gravitas merged with the complexities of Bruce Wayne.
Regardless of what could have been, Liotta's revelation offers an intriguing look into the crossroads actors face in their careers. Decisions that seem obvious in retrospect are often clouded by contemporary judgments. One can only wonder if, in some parallel universe, Ray Liotta's Batman is an iconic performance discussed and dissected by fans worldwide. In the meantime, we can only cherish the roles he did embrace and the indelible mark he's left on Hollywood. Fans of the late actor might be interested in our list of Liotta's best work and how to watch it or catch his last onscreen performance in Cocaine Bear, streaming for anyone with a Peacock subscription.
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