The Dark Knight trilogy, Christopher Nolan’s acclaimed standalone DC franchise starring Christian Bale as Batman, concluded its run in 2012. Over the years, many actors have donned the cape and cowl, but Nolan’s gritty, grounded take on the superhero continues to be one of the most celebrated interpretations.
While numerous big names joined Nolan’s films, one familiar face from Breaking Bad almost became part of that universe. In an exclusive interview with ScreenRant about his new video game Dispatch, Aaron Paul, best known for playing Jesse Pinkman in the AMC hit — revealed that he was once offered a role in one of Nolan’s Batman movies.
I sat down with Christopher Nolan on another project. This was years ago, I think it was for Interstellar, but I was offered a very small role – you’re literally just reminding me of this – in one of the Batman movies he was doing.
he recalled
Unfortunately, scheduling conflicts kept him from accepting the offer: “I was literally shooting another project, and I couldn’t do it. It was a tiny, tiny, tiny role – but I don’t care.”
The 40-year-old actor emphasized that he simply wanted “to be in his universe.” Expressing his admiration for Gotham’s world, Paul shared,
[I’m into] classic Gotham. I love Batman. I think Batman’s probably my favorite, because he’s kind of a real guy, right? He’s just the guy with a lot of money and a lot of toys, and he’s not messing around. I love Superman – I love it all. It’s just such a fun, fantastic world where the options are sort of limitless.
He also expressed his fondness for Superman, saying,
Although Paul didn’t reveal which character he was meant to play, he mentioned that he “just watched Dark Knight the other night” and reflected on the missed opportunity: “I thought about that. I was like, ‘Ah, it would have just been so cool to just be in 30 seconds of one of those movies.'”
Presented through a gritty and realistic lens, The Dark Knight trilogy became one of Warner Bros. and DC’s most commercially successful franchises, earning over $2.4 billion worldwide across its three films. Nolan’s work on Batman also led to his involvement in reviving Superman for the studio with Zack Snyder’s 2013 film Man of Steel.
Currently, James Gunn’s DC Universe is developing a fresh version of the iconic hero with The Brave and The Bold, which is being written under DC Studios. Meanwhile, Matt Reeves’ The Batman Part II — an Elseworlds project separate from the main continuity, is scheduled to begin filming in 2026.
Nolan’s DC trilogy, which includes Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises, is now available on home media and streaming platforms.