What do Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale, and Ryan Reynolds have in common? For starters, all three stars are Hollywood A-listers who have been part of superhero franchises. While Bale and Reynolds were DC recruits who played Batman and Green Lantern respectively, Cooper was an integral part of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy with his role as the loud-mouthed intergalactic raccoon Rocket.
Beyond these obvious links, the actors also share a connection that could have resulted in a completely different fate for them. Bradley Cooper was at the center of it all and his link to Christian Bale’s The Dark Knight trilogy and Ryan Reynold’s Green Lantern is a significant one.
Hollywood star Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper Blamed Christian Bale For His Failure To Play Green Lantern
While Bradley Cooper is synonymous with many roles including the incorrigible Rocket in Guardians Of The Galaxy, a little-known fact about the star is that he auditioned for the role of Green Lantern and failed to cut. The actor admitted that the role eluded him owing to his own acting mistakes. He further added that his colleague from American Hustle Christian Bale was indirectly instrumental in his failure.
Bradey Cooper with Christian Bale
Cooper took inspiration from Bale’s Batman to nail his audition hoping that The Dark Knight star’s charisma would rub off on him. But the results backfired as his imitation of Bale’s superhero personality was completely ineffective by his own admission. Cooper could have potentially earned a 15 million dollar payday which ultimately went to Ryan Reynolds who became the Green Lantern.
Bradley Cooper’s Miss Became His Biggest Gain
The rejection that Bradley Cooper felt after failing to land the role of DC’s Green Lantern also affected the actor emotionally in his decisions. Speaking of his trepidation, he stated,
“I auditioned to play the Green Lantern and I didn’t get it, and I haven’t had the balls to put the cape on again,”
Ryan Reynolds in Green Lantern
But this in retrospect, turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the Silver Linings Playbook actor. Not only was the 2011 film heavily criticized by audiences and critics, but it also performed far below expectations financially leaving no room for the possibility of any potential sequels. The film’s disastrous run was evident in the way that its protagonist Ryan Reynolds too roasted it and his performance. To quote Reynolds,
“I represented the death of the superhero for a while. After Green Lantern, I was pretty much unhireable.”
Bradley Cooper meanwhile went from strength to strength with the film choices that got him into the big leagues as an actor as well as a filmmaker and performer. The Hangover star though has still maintained that his experience with auditioning for Green Lantern deterred him from trying to activate his inner superhero senses despite his stint with the Marvel franchise in Guardians of the Galaxy.
