The Dark Knight made Timothée Chalamet want to act

It’s 2024 and we are officially at the point in time where major blockbusters of the modern era have influenced some of our favorite actors to enter the business. For Timothée Chalamet, that movie was Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, released in 2008 when Chalamet was just 12 years old.

Speaking with The New York Times, Chalamet recalled, “The movie that made me want to act is a superhero movie, The Dark Knight.” Interestingly, he has yet to star in a superhero movie of his own. This may be due to part of the advice he once received from one of Nolan’s former collaborators, Leonardo DiCaprio: “No superhero movies, no hard drugs.” (Chalamet actually had a small role in Nolan’s Interstellar.)

But that doesn’t mean Chalamet would never suit up for a superhero movie, saying it all depends on the material. “If the script was great, if the director was great, I’d have to consider it.” We can assume that Chalamet will still actively avoid those hard drugs Leo warned him about…

Chalamet’s first onscreen credit wouldn’t come until 2014 for Jason Reitman’s Men, Women & Children. Within four years, he would earn his first Academy Award nomination, marking himself as one of the hottest actors on the scene. And while he still hasn’t landed a DC or Marvel property, Chalamet is well familiar with blockbusters, with Dune and Wonka collectively grossing over $1 billion worldwide. No doubt Dune: Part Two — which is receiving rave reviews (our own Chris Bumbray gave it a 10/10!) — will near the top of his box office moneymakers.

Chalamet could absolutely pull off a superhero movie, having proved to be a versatile presence on the big screen. But one does wonder which figure from DC or Marvel’s expansive cast of characters would best fit Chalamet. I originally pitched him as Plastic Man just based on his lanky presence, but he might be worth something more interesting. Who do you think Chalamet could play?

Do you think The Dark Knight still has an influence on modern movies? How do you feel about it compared to its release more than 15 years ago?