Matt Damon, widely known for iconic roles such as Will in ‘Good Will Hunting’, Tom Ripley in ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’, and Jason Bourne in the action-packed franchise, recently shared a fascinating chapter from his early career. In a revealing interview on the Happy Sad Confused بودكاست, Damon disclosed that he nearly took on the role of Robin—the Boy Wonder—not once, but twice.
Back in the early 1990s, during the production phases of Tim Burton’s Batman films, there were plans to introduce Dick Grayson’s character into the storylines of Batman and Batman Returns. Damon explained that the audition process was shrouded in secrecy. “I remember that we didn’t have sides,” he recalled, referring to the absence of script excerpts typically given to actors. “It wasn’t like you were reading a scene with Batman. It was so secretive that it was, like, you were reading this other scene from some other movie.”
Almost taking over in ‘Batman & Robin’
Years later, Damon came close to replacing Chris O’Donnell as Robin in Joel Schumacher’s 1997 film Batman & Robin. According to Damon, O’Donnell had already secured the part, but negotiations over his salary led the studio to bring in other contenders as a bargaining strategy. “I remember Chris O’Donnell already had the part, but they were haggling over money,” Damon said. “So the studio was flexing, basically, by flying in two other people for the role.” Damon was one of those actors considered during this negotiation phase.
Despite these close calls, Damon never officially appeared as Robin, but his near-involvement in these major Batman franchises adds an intriguing footnote to his acting career. From almost playing the iconic sidekick to his acclaimed portrayals in a wide range of genres, Damon’s versatility as an actor remains evident.