Armie Hammer opens up about losing 'Batman' role: 'It was really heartbreaking'

Actor Armie Hammer went Running Wild With Bear Grylls on Tuesday. Between eating a rotten fish eyeball and drinking goat milk directly from the teat, Hammer talked about being cast as Batman in a blockbuster film that never happened.

Hammer’s breakout role came from the 2010 hit The Social Network, in which he played twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss. But in 2007, he was supposed to break out as Batman in George Miller’s Justice League: Mortal film.

Unfortunately for Hammer, the timing could not have been worse because the Writers Guild went on strike, bringing the film industry to a halt. At the time the film was in preproduction and Hammer, along with an ensemble cast that featured Adam Brody (The Flash), Common (Green Lantern), DJ Cotrona (Superman), Megan Gale (Wonder Woman), Hugh Keays-Byrne (Martian Manhunter) and Santiago Cabrera (Aquaman), were rehearsing for the film in Australia.

Between the strike delay, the success of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, and various creative issues, Justice League: Mortal was canceled.

“It was, like, really heartbreaking,” said Hammer, “Especially because I was 19 years old, it was like the first big success I'd ever had.”

While heartbreaking, Hammer credits the experience of auditioning for the role with making him a better actor. He said, “I worked harder on that than anything I have ever worked on in my entire life.” And he referred to the experience as a “metamorphosis by fire.”

Running Wild With Bear Grylls airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on National Geographic.

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