‘Didn’t believe in me as an actor”: The Marvel Star Who Made Christopher Nolan Famous Wasn’t Good Enough for His Batman Movies

Australian actor Guy Pearce is regarded as one of the most talented actors who has appeared in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, L.A. Confidential, The Hurt Locker, Marvel’s Iron Man 3, and more. The critics and the audience have appreciated his work over the years. Pearce also appeared in Christopher Nolan’s psychological thriller Memento in 2000, which was deemed as culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant by the United States Library of Congress.

The actor recently appeared in the epic historical drama The Brutalist, directed and produced by Brady Corbet. The movie follows the story of László Tòth, who survives the Holocaust and immigrates to the United States, and struggles to achieve the ‘American Dream’ until one of his wealthy clients changes his life. The Brutalist received critical acclaim and has been named as one of the top movies of 2024. During the promotion of the movie, Guy Pearce recalls why he has never worked with one Academy Award-winning director.

Guy Pearce on why collaboration with Christopher Nolan never happened after ‘Memento’

In his conversation with Vanity Fair, Guy Pearce, along with promoting The Brutalist, also mentioned why he has never worked with Christopher Nolan despite their first movie, Memento, doing really well for both of them. The actor was asked about his Memento co-star Carrie-Ann Moss, to which he said that she was good fun, but he has eventually lost touch with her.

The actor noted that she has a good sense of humor, but it’s hard to keep up with Chris Nolan, as he is such a towering intellect. The follow-up question was, “Has he been in touch with Nolan?” To which he said he has not, but the two of them did speak about a few roles over the years: The Batman being the first and then The Prestige. Pearce added further,

But there was an executive at Warner Bros. who quite openly said to my agent, ‘I don’t get Guy Pearce. I’m never going to get Guy Pearce. I’m never going to employ Guy Pearce.’ So in a way, it was good to know. It meant I could never work with Christopher Nolan.

The actor was asked if he confronted the said executive, who literally said, ‘No Guy Pearce,’ and he said,

I think he just didn’t believe in me as an actor.

Guy Pearce added that Nolan wanted to cast him in his movies, but the executives at Warner Bros. were adamant about not hiring him.

The role eventually went to Liam Neeson. But now Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros. are on their way after 2020’s Tenet, which means that the actor and the director can reunite if wanted.

Guy Pearce talks about his time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Iron Man 3

Pearce appeared as Doctor Aldrich Killian in Iron Man 3, starring Robert Downey Jr. He was asked if he ever felt that he was a part of a massive movie because by the time Pearce joined the MCU, it had already established itself. Luckily the actor said Downey Jr. is fantastic at having other actors involved. He said,

He’s a wonderful human being who keeps things down to earth in that crazy world. We had more sets and stuff to be on that it didn’t feel too visual effects-laden.

In an interview with Total Film, he explained that he had almost turned down Iron Man 3 because Marvel, being Marvel, wasn’t ready to show the actor the script. He recalled that he spoke to the director Shane Black, who had been his fan, and he explained to him the story of the movie, but Pearce really needed to see everything on paper. (via ComicBook)

The actor mentioned they sent him a link to the script via a link, and it was everything Black had told him. Post-release, Guy Pearce mentioned the movie:

It’s even better than I thought it was going to be. I think it’s a great movie.

Guy Pearce eventually read the comic books because he was curious about his character and wanted to have a sense of the manner and demeanor of his character. The movie was a success with Shane Black’s direction being praised.

Iron Man 3 is streaming on Disney+, and Memento is available to stream on Prime Video and Peacock+.