Gary Oldman proved himself perhaps the best live-action Commissioner Jim Gordon in The Dark Knight Trilogy, but that wasn't who Christopher Nolan originally wanted him to play in 2005's Batman Begins.
While the Slow Horses star has previously discussed initially being approached to take on the role of a villain, he's never revealed which character that was. The prevailing theory was Ra's al Ghul (whom Nolan reinvented by casting Liam Neeson), but Oldman pointed to Scarecrow while recently speaking with Happy Sad Confused host Josh Horowitz.
"I got a feeling it was Scarecrow," the British actor revealed. "That was about the time when I was sort of thinking I’ve had enough of [playing villains]. I think it was my manager who suggested to Chris, 'What about Jim Gordon?' And, to his credit, Chris went, 'Hm, that’s interesting.' We met and that’s how it sort of came about. But I think it might be Scarecrow."
That role instead went to Cillian Murphy who later briefly reprised the role in both The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. Oldman played a significant role in the trilogy as Gordon, learning it was Bruce Wayne beneath the cowl in the final instalment (a first for the longtime allies).
Back in 2012, Oldman talked more about how he came to join the reboot:
"I never had a meeting with him about Jim Gordon. We'd met for a cup of coffee at the 101 Café in Hollywood and he was talking about his reinterpretation of Batman and his life through the comic and where it had travelled, really. From Tim Burton to...absolute shite. I mean, the last movie, whatever it was in the franchise, the early franchise with Mr Freeze, they should take that can of film and blow it up!"
"Chris admired and was a fan of the comic and the original conception of Batman, which was darker. So that was basically the pitch, he was saying, 'I'm going to reinterpret it, I'm going to try and base it more in reality, there will be explanations'. I thought it sounded fantastic. Then they came in with a villain. And I was at that point where you say, 'Oh. I can't do that anymore.' I really felt I'd played all the notes that I could in terms of villains."
It's interesting to think about what Oldman might have brought to the table as the unhinged Dr. Jonathan Crane, but at the same time, it's now hard to imagine anyone else playing this particular iteration of Jim Gordon.
J.K. Simmons later took over the role in Justice League and shot scenes for Batgirl before it was scrapped. In Matt Reeves' The Batman, What If...? star Jeffrey Wright portrayed the character as a Detective and is expected to return in the upcoming sequel.
There's no word on who will play the Caped Crusader's closest GCPD ally in DC Studios and Andy Muschietti's The Brave and the Bold.