Happy Sad Confused podcast<\/a>, Damon first discussed auditioning for the Robin role during Tim Burton\u2019s time at the helm of the films. <\/p>\n\u201cI remember that we didn\u2019t have sides,\u201d said Damon, referring to the short excerpts of scripts provided to actors to perform during auditions. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t like you\u2019re reading a scene with Batman. It was so secretive that it was, like, you\u2019re reading this other scene from some other movie.\u201d<\/p>\n
Robin ultimately never appeared in either of the two Tim Burton Batman movies, but this initial audition actually wasn\u2019t Damon\u2019s only brush with The Boy Wonder.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen, subsequent to that, in \u201993, I got screentested; I was one of the final three to play Robin in the George Clooney [and] Joel Schumacher Batman,\u201d continued Damon.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember Chris O\u2019Donnell already had the part, but they were haggling over money. So the studio was flexing, basically, by flying in two other people to screen test, but they wanted Chris \u2013 but they just wanted him for a price.\u201d<\/p>\n
Damon clarified he knew O\u2019Donnell at the time.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember calling up and I was, like, \u2018I\u2019ll work for a quarter of what that dude\u2019s working for,\u2019\u201d he laughed. \u201cI was like, \u2018I want the job!\u2019 Yeah, I flew in and auditioned for Joel, but I think they always intended [the role to O\u2019Donnell]. I remember seeing Chris while he was making that \u2013 we were friends back then \u2013 and they always intended to give it to Chris.\u201d<\/p>\n
While a role in a Batman film never eventuated for Damon, his collaborations with an esteemed Batman director, Christopher Nolan, keep coming \u2013 from Interstellar to Oppenheimer, and on to this year\u2019s The Odyssey.<\/p>\n
IGN\u2019s review of The Odyssey<\/a> called it a \u201cmust-watch cinematic experience.\u201d<\/p>\nLuke is a Senior Editor on the IGN reviews team. You can track him down on Bluesky @mrlukereilly to ask him things about stuff.<\/p>\n