Summary
The co-writer ofBatman Beginsreveals an alternative casting that would have completely changed Christopher Nolan’s superhero film.Batman Beginswas the firstmovie to feature the Caped Crusader since the poorly received Batman & Robin, which was highly cartoonish. Nolan’s take on Batman was a grittier, more down-to-earth version that lost many of the fantastical elements of prior films, which helped to revitalize the genre, releasing in 2005, shortly after the success of theX-MenandSpider-Manmovies.
Batman Beginsstars Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman, with Nolan’s take on Scarecrow played by Cillian Murphy, Michael Caine as Alfred, and Tom Wilkson breathing life into Carmine Falcone, among others. However, one of the film’s most noted story elements belongs to villain Ra’s Al Ghul, played by Ken Watanabe, or so audiences thought. Liam Neeson was also inBatman Beginsas another character named Ducard, which was later revealed as a ruse. Neeson was the true Ra’s Al Ghul, with Watanabe as a stand-in, allowing the character to hide in plain sight. However, according to co-writer David S. Goyer, the Christopher Nolan-directed origin story almost saw a very different actor taking on the villainousDC Comicsrole.
While appearing on theHappy Sad Confusedpodcast,Goyer revealed that the role of Ra’s Al Ghul inBatman Beginsnarrowly went to actor Guy Pearce.Nolan had worked with Pearce previously on his filmMemento, and it seems the director was keen to work with him again onBatman Begins. According to Goyer, it came down to “Guy and Liam,” with Nolan favoring Pearce. However, it seems their conversation swayed the director to cast Neeson as the film’s villain, with Goyer feeling “it just made more sense.” Read Goyer’s full remarks on Guy Pearce nearly playing Ra’s Al Ghul inBatman Beginsbelow:
It was Guy and Liam. I think Chris [Nolan] had sort of narrowed it down to those two, and I remember him calling me and us having a long conversation about which one. Chris had his own reasons. But I just remember thinking that Liam made a bit more sense because he was older, and I just thought instead of a fraternal [story], we were telling a story about Bruce growing up in the shadow of his father. So, it just made more sense to me.
Batman BeginsWould Have Felt Like A Very Different Film With Guy Pearce As Ra’s Al Ghul
Neeson’s performance as Ra’s Al Ghul is a standout among the stellar cast inBatman Begins. Notably, it was the villain’s live-action debut, and Nolan’s sleight of hand with the reveal was a nice moment for the uninitiated. Furthermore, it posed a fatherly relationship for a character struggling with losing his parents, ultimately making the relationship work better, and the betrayal cut deeper. As Goyer stated, Neeson’s age worked best for the character, transforming Ra’s Al Ghul and Bruce Wayne’s relationship. Pearce would have given Bruce a more fraternal, or brotherly relationship, which often serves Bruce Wayne well, but wasn’t perfect for the story they were telling.
Batman Beginsseems to have made the right choice, leading to a trilogy of films often regarded as some of the best superhero films ever made.The Dark Knightand Heath Ledger’s Jokerperformance continues to echo as an all-time great among fans who love the movie. However, it all could’ve started differently if Guy Pearce had taken on the villain role in the first outing. Pearce would go on to play a villain in the MCU’sIron Man 3, adding an evil comic book character to his resume through a similar sleight of hand for the character. WhileBatman Beginsalmost featured a distinctly different villain, the movie looks to have made the right choice.
