The 1990s saw a slew of different actors portray Batman, from Michael Keaton to George Clooney. The various '90s interpretations of the Caped Crusader lacked the seriousness and cinematic virtues of Christopher Nolan's three-film Batman franchise, and they certainly didn't live up to the critical acclaim of 2008's The Dark Knight. But what if The Dark Knight had been released in the 1990s?
If this version was directed with the same dramatic undertones and high-minded intentions as the late 2000s release, it would have been a more realistic adaptation than some of the other '90s Batman movies. It also would have possessed few of the kitschy dialogue and severe miscasting that hampered all three of the live-action films. Fortunately, the '90s provide a slew of opportunities for revisionist history when imagining what the cast of The Dark Knight would have looked like if made in the decade of grunge.
Queen Latifah As Gambol
In the 1990s, rapper and actor Queen Latifah had already played a tough-as-nails bank robber in Set It Off. She could bring the same toughness to the role of Gambol, who runs drugs through Gotham City as a gang leader. Latifah is known for playing characters with sarcastic personalities and a take-no-junk attitude, as she did in Living Single.
These character traits would translate well to the role of Gambol, as he is the first to have enough of the Joker's tactics when he takes over the various crime mobs.
David Bowie As Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow
In the '90s, the iconic David Bowie showed viewers what he could do as Andy Warhol in Basquiat; it's not a stretch to imagine him filling the slender and spooky costume of Scarecrow. Bowie has the posh charisma to portray Scarecorw's alter-ego, the psychiatrist, Jonathan Crane. But he also has the punk ethos and surrealist chops to slip into the skeletal role as the Batman villain, Scarecrow.
Bowie has played sinister before in Labyrinth and could bring much of the same striking goth energy to his role as the stalker of Gotham City.
Lauryn Hill As Rachel Dawes
In the modern Dark Knight, the character of Rachel Dawes improved significantly when Maggie Gyllenhall was recast as the character, bringing with her wit and a more fleshed-out performance than her predecessor, Katie Holmes. However, the role could be improved further by casting a great performer and creative legend in Lauryn Hill.
Hill is one of America's most experimental performers and songwriters. She also shined in movies such as Sister Act 2 and Restaurant. Her intellectual personality would fit right in as one of the smartest characters in the Batman universe.
Miguel Ferrer As Sal Maroni
Gotham mobster Sal Maroni has to be portrayed by an actor who can convincingly play menacing. The late Miguel Ferrar built a career on such an ability. He has been sneering and scary in films such as Robocop and Mulan, where Ferrer voiced one of the great Disney villains in Shan Yu. As Maroni, Ferrer would play a character responsible for setting the Joker loose on Gotham.
Ferrer was known for his distinctively deep voice and his ability to play villainous, sleazy characters. He would fit right in in Gotham City, especially as Maroni.
Ossie Davis As Lucius Fox
Ossie Davis collaborated with renowned director Spike Lee for years. The actor often played characters who served as the films' moral compass, as seen in Do the Right Thing and Get on the Bus. This is precisely the kind of gravitas needed to portray Bruce Wayne's mentor, Lucius Fox.
Fox is a few decades older than Wayne, and the role would call for an actor who can hold court with the hero when they have philosophical disagreements with how Batman's weaponry should be used.
Harry Dean Stanton As Alfred Pennyworth
Character actor Harry Dean Stanton possesses the right combination of gentleness and wisdom to play Bruce Wayne's right-hand man, Alfred Pennyworth. Staton was a well-respected actor who had incredible range and could embody the voice of reason in Batman's corner.
Staton is also the right casting choice for the moments when Alfred has to talk Wayne out of pushing his body and spirit past the point of no return. He has delivered memorable performances where he has had to wear his heart on his sleeve, as he did in Paris, Texas.
Steve Buscemi As Commissioner Gordon
In the 1990s, Steve Buscemi was one of the best up-and-coming character actors. To play Jim Gordan, an actor must be able to portray a hell-bent on fighting crime. Buscemi has performed everything from a mousy criminal who never shuts up in Fargo to an endearing record collector who struggles with intimacy in Ghost World.
The actor has also delivered performances over the years of men who are conflicted with their moral standing. For example, in The Dark Knight, Gordon is conflicted between his loyalty to the law and his ignorance of the corruption within his unit.
Mickey Rourke As Harvey Dent/Two-Face
In the 1980s and 1990s, Mickey Rourke was on the path to stardom. Then, unfortunately, a detour into amateur boxing derailed his career. But if he could have been cast as Harvey Dent/Two-Face first, it might have set him on a different path.
Rourke had already displayed the ability to switch temperaments on the drop of a dime in The Pope of Greenwich Village. For an actor to play Harvey Dent, they must convey torment and anguish with only one-half of their face. Rourke's past commitments to playing characters with physical (The Wrestler) and emotional (Angel Heart) scars make him the perfect candidate for the role.
Glenn Close As The Joker
One of The Dark Knight's most iconic scenes is the opening back sequence, as the Joker leaves an unforgettable impression on the audience. The gravitas of The Dark Knight requires an actor of methodical abilities, making Glenn Close the right choice to portray Batman's most iconic villain. In Fatal Attraction, she embodied a character who will go to any lengths to get what she wants.
The character of Joker requires an actor who is committed to the performance without veering too far into camp. Close has portrayed many characters who exist on the fringes of society and hold morally questionable philosophies.
Benicio del Toro As Bruce Wayne/Batman
The actor chosen for this role needs to bring the sophisticated charisma of Bruce Wayne and the brooding unknowability of Batman. Benicio del Toro has built a career on both of those qualities. Think of del Toro's unique criminal in The Usual Suspects or his mysterious assassin in The Way of the Gun.
As a performer, del Toro says more with his eyes than with any line he delivers. As a result, he has the right balance of light and dark to portray a character who goes by the moniker, "the Dark Knight."