Fans cite Christian Bale’s portrayal of Batman in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy as one of the best, but like most movies, a number of other actors were also considered for the role. With the $373.7 million film Batman Begins, Bale’s gritty and realistic take on the legendary Bruce Wayne/Batman changed the superhero genre in 2005. But did you know that The Witcher’s star, Henry Cavill, was being considered for the Batman role during the casting process?

The film was widely praised by critics and audiences alike, and it paved the way for two sequels: The Dark Knight in 2008 and The Dark Knight Rises in 2012. Although fans of the character will always treasure the trilogy and Bale’s portrayal of Batman, the reaction to the films might have been very different if another actor had taken on the role.

Henry Cavill Had A Screen Test For The Role Of Bruce Wayne

Henry Cavill had a screen test for the role of Bruce Wayne during the production of Batman Begins. In the film, Bruce appeared younger than previously seen, and his origin story was explored in greater detail. I Capture the Castle star was one of the actors being considered.

In an interview with Good Day New York, he claimed, though, that he was never really close to getting it; he discussed the role with others but never went through with an official audition:

“Batman [Batman Begins], I may have been spoken about in a room at some stage, but never auditioned or screen-tested. Superman [Superman Returns], yes, that came very close. And Bond [Casino Royale] came very close as well.”

Christian Bale, as we all know, won the role in the end.

Everything worked out in the end because Cavill was later cast by Zack Snyder to play Superman, the other major DC Comics character, in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Plus, he was also hugely successful on Netflix with The Witcher.

Henry Cavill Was Later Cast As Superman Against Ben Affleck’s Batman

Fast forward a few years, Henry Cavill got the chance to play a different, well-loved superhero. With Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, he made a victorious debut as Superman in 2013. His performance as the Man of Steel won him praise from critics and paved the way for his further participation in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The film was followed by Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, in which he faced off against Ben Affleck’s Batman in an iconic fight.

Cavill was “intimidated” by how ripped Affleck was on the set of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. The former shared (via UNILAD):

“I’ve never been the type of guy to get involved in any sort of macho one-upmanship, but I admit I was more than a bit intimidated, and it gave me the desire to push it a bit more, because Ben is really built.”

Even though Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice made $873.6 million worldwide, ranking as the seventh highest-grossing movie of 2016, the movie fell short of the critics’ expectations and got mostly negative reviews.

You can stream Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice on Amazon Prime Video while The Dark Knight Trilogy is available on Max.