Mark Wahlberg Reveals How Close He Came To Playing Robin In BATMAN FOREVER; Was Eyed For WATCHMEN Role

Mark Wahlberg Reveals How Close He Came To Playing Robin In BATMAN FOREVER; Was Eyed For WATCHMEN Role

Uncharted star Mark Wahlberg has revealed how close he came to playing Dick Grayson/Robin in 1995's Batman Forever and confirms Zack Snyder approached him about taking on a role in his Watchmen movie...

By JoshWilding - Mar 15, 2024 09:03 AM EST
Filed Under: Batman Forever (1995)

Mark Wahlberg has starred in a lot of big movies, but he's yet to suit up as a superhero. At this point, his joining the Marvel or DC Universes seems unlikely, though there was a point early on in his career that The Departed star was on the top of Joel Schumacher's list of candidates to play Batman Forever's Robin.

Asked by Josh Horowitz whether the role was ever really his, the actor said, "No, we met. We met quite a few times. We talked about it [but] I never got the official offer."

As for whether he donned the Boy Wonder's suit for a costume test, Wahlberg responded, "No...no, I'm glad I didn't get that offer." Looking back, it also appears he has no regrets about missing out playing Dick Grayson - which did nothing but hurt Chris O'Donnell's acting career - because he later added, "Uh, well, I could easily...no, why would I ever do that? I don't know, looking back."

It was also put to him that there were rumblings that either Martin Campbell or Zack Snyder wanted the Uncharted star to play Green Lantern. "No. It was for Watchmen," Wahlberg confirmed. "I never got to a place where I had meetings with [Zack]. Chuck Roven and I worked together on a number of occasions...but I never got that offer."

Questioned about which character Snyder wanted him to play, he candidly admitted, "I don't remember and I never saw the film."

We'd bet on it being Nite-Owl, though The Comedian also feels like a good fit for the actor. That movie wasn't exactly a hit either, so having made a couple of lucky escapes over the course of his career, it's no wonder Wahlberg is giving the genre a wide berth!

Walhberg has been doing the rounds to promote his new movie, Arthur the King. We caught up with him earlier this month and asked how preparing for this sort of role differed from the likes of Transformers: The Last Knight and Uncharted

"Yeah, with some of those, you kind of just work out and you’re ready for the explosions and the fight scenes and all that stuff," the actor explained. "To look like an endurance racer and to prepare for that training…I’ve never really done kayaking and cycling and stuff like that. You want to look the part."

"Of course, having the responsibility of getting it right...these are some of the toughest athletes I’ve ever seen. I really wanted to make sure we did Mikael and his team, and Adventure Racers all over the world, justice."

Check out the full interview with Walhberg in the player below.

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CoHost
CoHost - 3/15/2024, 10:02 AM
"All the whores and politicians will look up and shout, "Save Us!", and I'll whisper, "What? No."
Origame
Origame - 3/15/2024, 10:12 AM
@CoHost - they'll shout out "save us"

And I'll whisper back, "say hi to ya motha for me"
WruceBayne
WruceBayne - 3/15/2024, 12:27 PM
@Origame - in all it’s Boston accent greatness.
WhatIfRickJames
WhatIfRickJames - 3/15/2024, 10:06 AM
Mark Wahlberg’s Robin to Batman:

“Say ‘Hi’ to your mother Martha for me.”

Batman:

“WHY DID YOU SAY THAT NAME??!?”
Twenty23Three
Twenty23Three - 3/15/2024, 10:57 AM
@WhatIfRickJames - ok, shut it all down. We have a winner.
Clintthahamster
Clintthahamster - 3/15/2024, 10:08 AM
OT: Emma Stone and Jorgos Lanthimos have a new movie coming out in June. Since this site was so enthusiastic about Poor Things for SOME REASON, I'm sure you'll want to cover this one extensively as well.

https://variety.com/2024/film/box-office/yorgos-lanthimos-emma-stones-next-movie-kinds-of-kindness-release-date-1235941758/
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 3/15/2024, 12:53 PM
@ClintThaHamster - thats went right past me. Thought everybody was calling it pedo press
Clintthahamster
Clintthahamster - 3/15/2024, 1:34 PM
@bkmeijer1 - "Thought everybody was calling it pedo press"

What, Poor Things?
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 3/15/2024, 1:41 PM
@ClintThaHamster - yeah. I didn't read a lot of comments about here (or online in general), but what I got was that some people didn't like the aspect of what was basically the mind of a kid go on a sexual exploration tour.

Could be I instead read that in the articles itself though, as those sometimes do cover online consensus as well (even if it's hyperbolic at times).
Clintthahamster
Clintthahamster - 3/15/2024, 1:55 PM
@bkmeijer1 - Poor Things is an art film that mixes themes from Frankenstein, Candide, and Anna Karenina to tell a story about a young woman, unbound by the sexual mores of society, steadfastly, hilariously refusing to conform to what is "proper" for women in a puritanical, Victorian society. There's never any question of consent or agency.

Some folks should stick to comic book movies, is what I'm saying.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 3/15/2024, 3:56 PM
@ClintThaHamster - that it's a kind of Frankenstein kind of story is all I really got from it. And that it won a bunch of Oscars. I'm kinda out of the loop is what I'm saying
Clintthahamster
Clintthahamster - 3/15/2024, 4:41 PM
@bkmeijer1 - Oh, yeah, I wasn't talking about you with the "Sticking to comic book movies" remark. More the dudes on here that saw it (or, even worse, didn't) and all they took from it was "She's kinda like a baby but has sex in the movie? The Hollyweird pedo cabal strikes again!"
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 3/15/2024, 6:36 PM
@ClintThaHamster - oh gotcha. Based on what I read, I do admit it's easy to make such claims. I'll see for myself though. Eventually.
NinnesMBC
NinnesMBC - 3/15/2024, 8:27 PM
@ClintThaHamster - She'll have a limited role in this new film compared to in Poor Things. With that said the film never caught much of my attention, but it is what it is regarding Emma's win. I hope Lily Gladstone can win another time.
Clintthahamster
Clintthahamster - 3/15/2024, 8:47 PM
@NinnesMBC - "it is what it is regarding Emma's win. I hope Lily Gladstone can win another time."

I haven't seen KOTFM yet, but I heard she's phenomenal. Oscar's are nice recognition, but certainly don't award what was actually "best," or Forest Gump wouldn't have won Best Picture in 94 (yes, I'm still bitter about that.)
Clintthahamster
Clintthahamster - 3/16/2024, 10:40 AM
@bkmeijer1 - @bkmeijer1 - "Based on what I read, I do admit it's easy to make such claims."

I would take those descriptions with a grain of salt. I usually try really hard not to sound like a snob, because snobs suck, but [frick] it: Some people do not know enough about literature, cinema, or cultural history to fully understand certain works of art. And that's okay! Modern Dance and Free Jazz and Abstract Expressionism and Post-Modern Literature aren't for everyone, either. But I'd definitely recommend just a hair of "consider the source" when reading some of these critiques. We live in a culture where people think that Michaelangelo's David and Botticelli's Birth of Venus are pornographic and inappropriate for children, after all. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 3/16/2024, 11:10 AM
@ClintThaHamster - oh yeah, I don't get everything either. What I'd call one thing, means a whole other thing to someone else. All in the eye of the beholder after all.

I do tend to discard most of it that didn't originate from reputable or legit trades or sources though. Easy to get misinformed if everything is to believed.
S8R8M
S8R8M - 3/15/2024, 10:16 AM
In every movie of his. All I hear now, 'I think we found a Transformer!'
DudeGuy
DudeGuy - 3/15/2024, 10:17 AM
“Yo, don’t wait up Al!”
harryba11zack
harryba11zack - 3/15/2024, 10:25 AM
He didn't have the nipples to pull it off
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 3/15/2024, 10:26 AM
Dude certainly dodged a bullet with B&R lol…

Also , definitely seems like he could have been up for either Nite Owl or Comedian for Watchmen which worked out for the best since both Patrick Wilson & JDM fit those roles better imo.

Anyway , Wahlberg’s one of those actors that I can’t ever get excited for being in a movie and at times even drags it down for me even though he can be good so idk why that is…

Like recently , RDJ had to drop out of Shane Blacks next movie “Play Dirty” which is based on the character of “Parker” as the lead and they got Mark to replace him which made me less excited which sucks since I like the creative team & rest of the cast!!.

Nomis929
Nomis929 - 3/15/2024, 10:41 AM
Maybe as Jason Todd when he was Robin, but not Dick Grayson.
manofsteel96
manofsteel96 - 3/15/2024, 11:32 AM
Maybe as a small cameo as Marky Mark same as Vanilla Ice in TMNTII

micvalpro
micvalpro - 3/15/2024, 12:03 PM
Dudes so overrated.
BillyBatson1000
BillyBatson1000 - 3/15/2024, 12:20 PM
Genuinely surprised.

It really could have been WORSE?
TheVandalore
TheVandalore - 3/15/2024, 1:04 PM
I actually love Chris O'Donnell. I liked him in the films. For what he had to work with, kid had charm and charisma.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 3/15/2024, 7:10 PM
So basically it comes down to him getting kinda close, but also stayed far away from it.

Also, I was watching Ted and thought he kinda looks like a Bruce Wayne. Know me saying that is not gonna sit well with some though.
NinnesMBC
NinnesMBC - 3/15/2024, 8:29 PM
To me he is one of those actors that doesn't need a CBM to standout. But if he ever did it would have to be someone with a good sense of humor because he can be funny.
elcapitan
elcapitan - 3/18/2024, 12:52 PM
Transformers is giving the genre a wide berth?

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