Prior To Christian Bale was cast as Batman in Christopher Nolan’s 2005 movie “Batman Begins,” there were many popular stars who were considered for the role. Jake Gyllenhaal, Billy Crudup, Henry Cavill, Heath Ledger, David Boreanaz, Hugh Dancy, and Cillian Murphy nearly starred in the “dark and gritty” reboot of Bob Kane’s iconic character. Josh Hartnett nearly wound up being the star of Nolan’s trilogy, however informed The Guardian that the role “wasn’t for me.” Hartnett would go on to state that Nolan is among the numerous people that he is sorry for that he was not able to work with.
Although Hartnett’s star power has actually somewhat decreased within the previous couple of years, he was a major movie star in the early 2000s. Between “The Virgin Suicides,” “Black Hawk Down,” “The Faculty,” and “Sin City,” Hartnett had worked with some of the best directors in the market. “Batman Begins” did wonders for Bale’s profession. He went from being the kid star of films like “Newsies” and “Empire of the Sun” to an actor that people took more seriously. However, Hartnett definitely might have used the chance to boost his own career.
Source: https://www.slashfilm.com/920654/actors-who-regretted-missing-out-on-big-sci-fi-movies/