14 DAY TRIAL // There was a time when Josh Hartnett was the very definition of reluctant star. That time also coincided with the peak of his career, when he could have any role out there and he didn’t have to lift a finger to get it – like, for instance, Spider-Man, Superman, and Batman, which he turned down.
Hartnett makes the startling revelation in a new interview with Details magazine, which aims to promote his latest series on Showtime, “Penny Dreadful.”
Some might say that Hartnett tossed the biggest chance of his career by turning down any one of these 3 parts, especially considering that his star is no longer shining as bright as it used to back in the day. However, he isn’t filled with regret at the thought, though he admits he would at least consider the offer to play Batman properly if it was ever made to him again.
Of course, that’s not likely to happen, not when Zack Snyder has already chosen the next Batman after Christian Bale in the person of Ben Affleck, who will be donning the Batsuit in the sequel to “Man of Steel,” “Batman vs. Superman,” and possibly the “Justice League” movie as well.
Hartnett was first approached to do “Superman Returns.” He turned down the offer and the role went to Brandon Routh. “Spider-Man was something we talked about. Batman was another one,” he says. Those roles went to Tobey Maguire and Bale respectively, earning them a place on the A list and among fan favorites.
As for the reason why Josh didn’t want the parts, it wasn’t because he thought the movies were dumb, but rather because he was afraid they might make him typecast. That proved to be the case with Routh, but definitely not with Maguire and Bale.
“But I somehow knew those roles had potential to define me, and I didn't want that. I didn't want to be labeled as Superman for the rest of my career. I was maybe 22, but I saw the danger,” Hartnett explains. His agents pushed him to accept them but he chose to part ways with them instead.
Looking back, perhaps that wasn’t the smartest move, the actor admits, but that’s not to say he’s necessarily regretting it.
He admits that things with his career have changed considerably since then: he’s no longer a hot commodity, so he actually has to fight for the roles he wants.
“I still get offered films and TV roles, luckily, but years ago, if I saw a role I wanted, there was a good chance I could grab it. When I see a role now, I've got to fight for it. It's not bad. It's actually more rewarding. Depressing when something doesn't go your way, but only for a minute,” Hartnett says.