Leonardo Dicaprio was considered for Robin in Batman Forever (Photo Credit – Facebook/DC)
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In the early ‘90s, Leo was hot stuff. When Fresh off This Boy’s Life, director Joel Schumacher came knocking his door for Batman Forever. But DiCaprio turned it down. He admitted that while Schumacher was a great director, he didn’t want to take up the superhero job. He later chose to star in The Basketball Diaries.
So why no superhero roles for DiCaprio? During a candid chat, he alluded that it wasn’t about an opportunity lack, but about not being able to find the right fit. The actor recalled how he was also approached for Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, but he wasn’t ready to put on a suit. That role eventually went to his BFF Tobey Maguire, leaving fans to wonder what might have been.
Despite his refusal to don a superhero cape, Leo’s name still floated around the comic book world. Director Zack Snyder alluded on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that he once discussed a major part with the Titanic star—Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The role ultimately went to Jesse Eisenberg. But Snyder praised Leo for his smart take on Luthor, noting, “DiCaprio was really smart about the material and the character.”
But that’s not all. Leonardo DiCaprio’s input didn’t just end with casting decisions. Snyder mentioned that he suggested a plot point that would later become a key storyline in Justice League. Leo proposed the idea of Superman fighting the Justice League, which Snyder took and ran with for his next film.
So, what does DiCaprio think about superhero movies today? He hasn’t entirely ruled them out. As he himself asserted, “They’re getting better and better as far as complex characters are considered.”
In the end, while DiCaprio may not have joined the superhero league, his impact on Hollywood is undeniable. From Titanic to Inception, his career choices have been legitimate. And who knows? Maybe we will see him in a superhero flick in the future.
For now, we can only speculate about what could’ve been. The world of comic book films is rich and evolving, and while Leonardo DiCaprio may not have been in the mix so far, he’s left his mark in ways only he can.
