Adrien Brody claims he came close to playing Christopher Nolan’s Joker before Heath Ledger landed the role

The Dark Knight’s iconic Joker could have looked very different if Heath Ledger hadn’t landed the role that earned him a posthumous Oscar.

Adrien Brody, an Academy Award winner himself, recently revealed that he auditioned for the part in Christopher Nolan’s 2008 Batman film.

Speaking on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, Brody admitted he wasn’t surprised he didn’t get the role.

He shared about the casting process, “Oh no, I wasn’t close. It was a role that I felt very suited to do. Heath did such a remarkable job in that movie. It was indelible. Such beautiful work.”

Brody, who won Best Actor for his performance in The Pianist (2002), reflected on the appeal of playing a character like the Joker under a director like Nolan.

He added, “Any actor with a degree of edge would like to delve into a character like that, especially with a filmmaker like Christopher Nolan who brought such a profound vision.”

While Brody didn’t get the part, he had high praise for The Dark Knight, calling it a groundbreaking achievement.

He said, “Nobody was doing that at the time.”

“There was nothing like that.”

“Christopher Nolan’s work and what he gave actors in that was such a revelation,” he added.

“It was mind-blowing to see.”

“That would have been such a dream role, and I’m sure it was for Heath.”

Brody did not entirely rule out stepping into the world of comic book movies again.

When asked if he’d consider taking on a Marvel role, the actor revealed what it would take for him to sign on with the powerhouse studio.

Brody said elsewhere in the interview, “Like I said, if I was presented with an opportunity to play an interesting character with a filmmaker that elevated me and gave me space to do something vastly different in that world, it sounds amazing.”

The Predators star also praised Marvel’s success and its ability to support its films creatively and technically. 

He concluded, “You have this wonderful machine [with Marvel].”

“[They] know all the techniques and tools to stand behind these movies, and they’ve done something I think is enormous.”