The Dark Knight Trilogy: 18 Cool Behind-The-Scenes Details You Didn't Know
7. Gary Oldman Was First Considered To Play Ra's Al Ghul
The role of Sergeant (later Commissioner) Gordon went to the great Gary Oldman, and it's fair to say that the actor was excited about playing a good guy for a change, since he was usually cast as the villain.
However, initially... Nolan wanted him to play the villain.
When the director first met with Oldman, it was to discuss the role of Ducard, who appears in Batman Begins as Bruce Wayne's mentor in the League Of Shadows. Later in the film, it's then revealed that Ducard is actually the villainous Ra's al Ghul, leading to a final confrontation with Batman inside a speeding train.
Ducard/Ra's al Ghul was ultimately played by Liam Neeson, and as talented as Oldman is, it's honestly hard to picture him in the role. Besides, his version of Gordon is awesome, so things definitely worked out for the best.