Did You Know Johnny Depp Was The Front Runner To Play Riddler In Christoper Nolan’s The Dark Knight Series? ( Photo Credit – IMDb )
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American actor Johnny Depp is one of Hollywood’s most popular and versatile actors. He has essayed some of the most memorable roles throughout his acting career. However, he has also missed his share of high-profile characters, especially superhero roles.
Depp is well known for the iconic character Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. His other notable films include Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and many more. But many don’t know he was close to becoming a supervillain in DC comics.
According to a Newsbreak report, director Christopher Nolan approached Johnny Depp to take on the renowned Comic villain Riddler role in The Dark Knight’s sequel. Even though the actor rejected these rumours, he admitted that the late Heath Ledger’s brilliant and award-winning performance as the Joker in The Dark Night intimidated him. Christopher Nolan went on to direct The Dark Night Rises, which included Talia Al Ghul, Catwoman, and Bane as adversaries.
Moreover, Johnny disclosed that Val Kilmer ultimately won the role of Batman in Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever, which was initially intended for him. The report claimed that Schumacher had rejected the Golden Globe Award-winning actor to cast him in this role. Depp has also said he was drawn to Namor, the anti-hero who first appeared in Wakanda Forever. The Tourist star reportedly wanted to play Namor because he loved The Submariner Comics, also the character’s other name.
According to some reports, Johnny Depp was also a contender to play the character of Dr Strange. Kevin Feige, the head of Marvel, shot down the rumours, claiming that the superhero genre did not then require an actor of Depp’s calibre. It would be fascinating to watch Depp’s eccentric style come to the fore had he agreed to play these roles, even if the DC and Marvel brands finally chose excellent performers for them.
