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Now, the suggestion that Nolan held a grudge against Hartnett, or deliberately snubbed him from "The Prestige" because he didn't want to be Batman, is pure speculation. It's worth noting that Nolan did eventually cast Hartnett in his 2023 film "Oppenheimer" as physicist Ernest Lawrence. So, if there was a grudge, it clearly wasn't a long-lasting one. Now, what sets "The Prestige" apart from "Batman Begins" that made Hartnett interested in the former but not the latter? "The Prestige" is a period piece, set in Victorian England, following two rival stage magicians: Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale). Their efforts to one-up each other costs both men happiness, love, and their lives. "Batman Begins" was a blockbuster, whereas "The Prestige" was, well, a prestige picture. (Even if it ultimately had two superhero actors headlining it.) Nolan casting Bale in "The Prestige," and not Hartnett, is likely more simple than Bale being the one who previously told him "Yes." Nolan had already made one movie with Bale, so he knew they worked well together. He also knew firsthand that Bale had the range to play Borden, who is (SPOILER) actually two identical twins sharing a life as the ultimate magic trick. That's not too dissimilar from Bruce Wayne's secret identity as Batman, so of course Nolan got his Batman to do it. Hartnett himself said in the Playboy interview that he didn't realize the value of building relationships, to make other types of movies, that playing Batman would've brought him: "That's when I realized relationships were formed in the fire of that first Batman film, and I should have been part of the relationship with this guy Nolan, who I felt was incredibly cool and very talented. I was so focused on not being pigeonholed and so scared of being considered only one thing as an actor." So, one last piece of speculation: "The Prestige" has two leads, so which one would Hartnett have played? He seems like a more obvious pick for Angier; a handsome gentleman but angry and self-righteous. No one could've played Borden like the Cockney chameleon Christian Bale. Then again, Hartnett's recent performance in "Trap" as Cooper, a suburban dad and secret serial killer, shows he can play a single character with two lives. If he had starred in "Batman Begins" and then "The Prestige," maybe we all would've learned that about Hartnett much sooner.
