Who Does Josh Hartnett Play In Oppenheimer?

While Christian Bale made the dual role of Batman/Bruce Wayne his own in Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight Trilogy" from 2005 to 2012, he wasn't the only actor the filmmaker sought to play the Caped Crusader. Also considered for the coveted DC comic book movie role were Cillian Murphy — who won the role of Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow based on his Batman audition — and Josh Hartnett.

Hartnett, who admitted to Playboy in 2015 that he turned down Nolan's offer because he was overwhelmed by his fame, wishes he would have been more "resilient" and "less panicked" in making his decision. "I've definitely said no to some of the wrong people. I learned my lesson when [writer-director] Christopher Nolan and I talked about 'Batman.' I decided it wasn't for me," Hartnett told Playboy. "Then he didn't want to put me in 'The Prestige.' They not only hired their Batman for it, they also hired my girlfriend at the time [Scarlett Johansson]."

As such, Hartnett told Playboy, he realized that "relationships were formed in the fire of that first 'Batman' film and I should have been part of the relationship with this guy Nolan, who I felt was incredibly cool and very talented." The lesson, Hartnett noted, was he was too focused and afraid of being typecast if he took the role. "I should have thought, Well, then, work harder, man," he told Playboy.

In recent years, Hartnett has starred in the horror series "Penny Dreadful" and worked with director Guy Ritchie on his crime thriller "Wrath of Man," and action comedy "Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre." Plus, Hartnett said yes to Nolan for a role in "Oppenheimer," which opens in theaters Friday, July 21, 2023.