Cillian Murphy always knew he "didn't have that physicality" needed for the lead role in Christopher Nolan's The Batman

Did you know that Cillian Murphy, who portrayed our very own supervillain, Dr. Jonathan Crane a.k.a. The Scarecrow in Christopher Nolan's The Batman films, had originally auditioned for the role of Batman?

Last year, in an interview with Josh Horowitz, the Peaky Blinders star admitted that he perhaps wasn’t the right fit for the character. He stated:

"And I knew that like, I was very very slight physically back then and I knew that I didn't have that physicality then to kind of do it."

Keep reading to find out what more Cillian Murphy revealed about the audition process for Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins.

When Cillian Murphy opened up about not landing the superhero role in Christopher Nolan's The Batman films

In Christopher Nolan’s 2005 film Batman Begins, Cillian Murphy, who eventually played the antagonist Scarecrow, originally auditioned for the role of the superhero.

Last year, while speaking to Josh Horowitz, Murphy candidly talked about how it was quite evident that Christian Bale was most likely to play Batman. He also mentioned that what mattered the most to him back then was to work with an esteemed filmmaker like Nolan, as he stated:

"I knew that Christian Bale was the obvious choice. And I knew that like, I was very very slight physically back then and I knew that I didn't have that physicality then to kind of do it. But for me it was just to be able to get in a room with Christopher Nolan and to be able to say 'Oh well, I worked with him'. You know? That was all I was looking for."

Furthermore, Cillian Murphy recalled the moment when he was approached for the role of Scarecrow, as he mentioned:

"Then he [Christopher Nolan] called me a week or two later, I can't remember, and said 'Look it's not going to work out we thought it mightn't but there's this other part".

Besides, the Oppenheimer star also lauded Nolan for his impeccable and unique casting choices, as he further added:

"You know, Chris has so many feathers to his bow as a director but I think his skill at casting is something that people don't quite talk enough about. He's always been genius at casting his films, kind of in an unexpected way. He doesn't go with the conventional way with the casting, and I think it's always worked out from."

On a similar note, five years back, while speaking on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Cillian Murphy talked about his audition for the role of Batman as well. In a hilarious, fun-filled exchange between him and Meyers, Murphy was asked if he ever thought he was the apt person to play the role of the superhero.

Seth Meyers specifically asked about his feelings whilst he wore the breathtaking Batman suit, to which the actor responded by saying:

"No, I never for a moment thought I was material."

He further went on to hail praises for Christian Bale, whilst making an anecdotal sharing by adding:

"It was obvious that Christian Bale was going to be Batman. At that time, it was clear, and he's such a magnificent Batman and Bruce Wayne. But I did get to- I think it was the Val Kilmer suit. I got to try it on, which they had to adjust slightly."

Cillian Murphy also shared his experience and the impact of wearing the costume, which had made some fundamental changes to the actor's body and voice. He even mimicked the deep baritone voice of Batman in the end as well, as he spoke:

"But it's a weird thing. You put it on, you put the cowl on, and your voice drops. It drops a couple of octaves. You can't do the Batman voice without doing the 'Batman' [in a deep voice]."

In Batman Begins, Cillian Murphy’s Scarecrow is a ruthless psychopharmacist responsible for creating toxins that spread fear and dread throughout Gotham City. The supervillain first appeared in DC Comics in 1941, debuting in World’s Finest Comics #3, and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane.