When it comes to people that Goyer and Gordon-Levitt worked with on The Dark Knight trilogy, there are plenty of possible casting options in a very strong ensemble. To play the part of Dream, however, one stands out above the others: The Dark Knight series' Scarecrow, Cillian Murphy. As well as his nightmare-inducing, mind-manipulating Batman villain, Murphy also got to explore his own dream world alongside Gordon-Levitt in another of Warners' biggest movies, Inception, with his dreamscape forming the setting of the film. All of this means that he has ample experience reacting to big-budget, effects-driven dream fantasies and a successful working relationship with those producing the movie. On top of that, the quality of Murphy's diverse performances and his presence and appearance that make him an ideal Dream. Murphy's slightly off-kilter good looks, those cheekbones Gaiman demands and bright, pale eyes have seen him cast as either distant, somewhat hard to empathise with heroes (Sunshine) or chillingly psychopathic villains (Red Eye). It's a style that is perfectly attuned to the distant, complex character that Dream can be. Given his crossdressing role in Breakfast on Pluto, Murphy may be equally qualified to play the continually gender switching brother/sister/antagonist for Dream, Desire. Much of the internet, however, seems to have made up its mind that this list's next choice for Dream would be the perfect actor for that role instead.
