9 Actors Who Quit Major Film Roles

2. Bill Murray €“- Batman

This entry stands unique as a a rare instance of a studio taking an actor out before he could be savaged by the fans, which is exactly what would've happened to Bill Murray had he followed through on his wish to be a funny Batman in the eighties.

For everyone who thought that Batman was always brooding and serious, I'm sorry to tell you that it wasn't. Originally, Batman was just as susceptible to goofiness as any other hero, and certainly suffered a good deal of silliness in his formative years. Yet it was only writ large for the majority when the Adam West-fronted Batman came to the party, letting the world see just how far down the rabbit hole of stupidity this series could descend.

Whether wielding the Shark-repellant batspray or complaining that he just couldn't get rid of a bomb, it was all amazingly ridiculous. Surprising as this may seem, this wacky Batman had its own fans even when the Caped Crusader went all super-serious later on in the 20th century, and among them was Bill Murray.

Yet by this point it was felt that a serious Batman would be preferred, with the hot-off-Beetlejuice Tim Burton in the director's seat, and Michael Keaton in the title role. For what it's worth, Murray still thinks he would've made an awesome Dark Knight, but a man can only dream of seeing this actually happen.