Oppenheimer Would Have Been Completely Different With One Christopher Nolan Casting Decision 20 Years Ago

Oppenheimer made a monumental impact upon its release and is among Christopher Nolan’s best work, but one casting decision by the director 20 years ago would have changed the film drastically. Nolan’s Oppenheimer is a masterpiece, filled with great cinematography, a gorgeous score, and stellar acting. However, one casting change that nearly happened 20 years ago would have completely altered the movie. Robert Downey Jr. interviewed to play Scarecrow in Batman Begins, a role that went to Cillian Murphy. Both were integral parts of Oppenheimer, but had Nolan gone with Downey over Murphy for Scarecrow, things might have been different.

With how successful both actors’ careers have been since 2005’s Batman Begins, it is hard to imagine how different they could have been. This would likely have had a direct impact on Oppenheimer almost 20 years later, potentially causing major adjustments to the leading roles. With Oppenheimer a front-runner to win Best Picture at the 2024 Oscars alongside Murphy and Downey being strong candidates for Best Actor and Supporting Actor, these changes seem unimaginable. Nolan nailed the casting for the movie, yet choosing Downey to play Scarecrow would have altered his relationships with the actors and impacted their roles.

Cillian Murphy Wouldn’t Lead Oppenheimer If RDJ Had Been Cast In Batman Begins

Cillian Murphy and Christopher Nolan have collaborated on many projects over the years, but Murphy wouldn’t have played the lead role in Oppenheimer had Robert Downey Jr. been cast in Batman Begins. Nolan and Murphy have worked together on six movies throughout their careers, meaning Murphy has been a part of half the movies that Nolan has directed. Murphy is clearly someone Nolan can rely on and has a good relationship with, but this all started through Batman Begins. Although he eventually landed the role of Scarecrow, Murphy had originally auditioned to play Batman, which was unsuccessful.

Had Nolan cast RDJ as Scarecrow, Murphy would likely have ended up without a part in the movie. Cillian Murphy appeared in all three of Nolan’s Batman movies, showing how his relationship grew with Nolan because of this casting choice. This led to other roles, such as Inception, Dunkirk, and eventually Oppenheimer. RDJ being cast as Scarecrow would have prevented this relationship from happening and Murphy probably wouldn’t have starred in Oppenheimer. Considering the real-life comparison between Murphy and J. Robert Oppenheimer alongside how strong Murphy’s performance was, this would have been a huge loss.

RDJ’s Role In Oppenheimer Probably Would’ve Been Different Too (If It Happened At All)

Robert Downey Jr. was outstanding in his Oppenheimer role, but this also could have been different as he may have been cast for a different part, or not have been involved at all. His role as Iron Man‘s Tony Stark proved he was perfect for Oppenheimer. Stark has a very different personality from Downey’s Oppenheimer character, Lewis Strauss, but there are some similarities, such as their cunning nature and big plans that made RDJ a perfect fit for both characters. Iron Man helped kickstart the MCU and RDJ’s performance as Tony Stark was a massive factor in the universe’s success.

However, had he joined DC just a few years prior, the casting wouldn’t have happened. This means RDJ may not have had the performance that set him up to play Strauss, and he may have been left out of Oppenheimer altogether. Oppenheimer is one of Robert Downey Jr.’s best performances since the MCU, and both roles may not have happened if he joined Batman Begins. He may have had a closer relationship with Nolan, but it is still hard to imagine RDJ being cast as Oppenheimer due to his acting traits, meaning he and Murphy may have missed out.

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Christopher Nolan Not Casting RDJ In Batman Begins Worked Well For Oppenheimer (& Everything Else)

While RDJ would have made for an interesting Scarecrow, Nolan not casting him worked well for Oppenheimer and everyone’s careers. Even if Downey had a great performance as Scarecrow, it is hard to imagine it eclipsing his role as Iron Man as the films led to a lengthy MCU career where he was one of the most important characters. Murphy’s career has also grown massively since Batman Begins and helped establish the legendary Nolan and Murphy relationship. The Dark Knight trilogy has become iconic, while Inception, Dunkirk, and Oppenheimer were all better for having Murphy involved.

All three have thrived since Batman Begins and Nolan’s casting decision may have helped everyone’s career. Oppenheimer was by far the biggest beneficiary though, as Nolan was likely more confident in the project having cast Murphy as the lead role. Murphy’s performance was one of the best acting displays of the year, making him an Oscar contender, while RDJ also shined with his supporting role. Nolan made the right choices with the cast, extending beyond Murphy and RDJ. He put together a star-studded crew who all excelled, and Nolan’s decision nearly two decades ago helped Oppenheimer become an all-time classic.

Oppenheimer

R

Drama

History

Biography

Oppenheimer is a film by Christopher Nolan, which follows the theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man behind the atomic bomb. Cillian Murphy will play the titular role, with the story based on the book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin.

Release Date

July 21, 2023

Director

Christopher Nolan

Cast

Cillian Murphy , Emily Blunt , Matt Damon , Robert Downey Jr. , Rami Malek , Florence Pugh

Runtime

150 Minutes

Writers

Christopher Nolan

Budget

$100 Million

Studio(s)

Syncopy Inc. , Atlas Entertainment

Distributor(s)

Universal Pictures