Leonardo DiCaprio may have headlined Inception, one of Christopher Nolan’s most mind-bending hits, but when it comes to picking his favorite Nolan film, he doesn’t give himself the trophy. In a recent conversation with Collider, DiCaprio once again confirmed that his top Nolan pick is The Dark Knight. And he didn’t even pause before saying it. He was sitting alongside his One Battle After Another co-star Benicio del Toro. And both of them blurted out the title almost in perfect sync.
Leonardo DiCaprio says his favorite Christopher Nolan movie is 'THE DARK KNIGHT'
(via: Collider) pic.twitter.com/V9AuCbm567
The choice makes sense if one knows how DiCaprio operates. He rarely praises his own work publicly, and steering away from Inception feels like a classic DiCaprio move. But the admiration he has for Nolan’s filmmaking shines through.
Leonardo DiCaprio’s Golden Rule for His Career Is “No Superhero Movies”
For someone who genuinely loves The Dark Knight, DiCaprio has a rather bold rule: he never signs up for superhero movies. That’s not Hollywood gossip—it’s straight from someone who received his advice firsthand. Timothée Chalamet once told The New York Times that DiCaprio said,
No superhero movies, no hard drugs.
The younger actor even admitted, “I follow them both!”
DiCaprio’s career rules are simple but firm. He has built decades of work choosing scripts that stretch him in unexpected ways. Each role seems like a new challenge he willingly runs toward. This explains why the cape-and-cowl universe never pulled him in.
Chalamet did note that the movie that inspired him to act in the first place was none other than The Dark Knight. And even he admitted,
If the script was great, if the director was great, I’d have to consider it.
But DiCaprio sticks to his rule. No masks, no capes, no enhanced superpowers. He wants to do just pure character work. Whether he’ll ever bend that rule is anyone’s guess, but for now, he’s holding the line.
Leonardo DiCaprio Could’ve Been an Ideal DC Villain
Ironically, despite his “no superhero movies” mantra, DiCaprio almost slipped into the world of DC at one point—and as a villain, no less. Zack Snyder revealed during a Rebel Moon Part Two: The Scargiver promo chat that he once met DiCaprio to discuss playing Lex Luthor. Yes, the bald-headed brainiac who loves outsmarting Superman.
Snyder said the meeting was fascinating. He even admitted that DiCaprio had “a lot of great ideas” and was clearly “really smart about the material.” The director recalled that DiCaprio seemed intrigued but ultimately pulled away. Snyder said (via Screen Rant),
He was like, “Eh, I don’t know…” but he was really smart about the material.
Imagine Leonardo DiCaprio as Luthor. He would’ve made Metropolis shake in its boots. The thought of him auditioning for Lex Luthor feels like watching your artsy friend accidentally walk into a comic-con photoshoot. It would have been brilliant, and slightly oddball.
That role eventually went to Jesse Eisenberg, whose take on Luthor had its own wild energy. But picturing DiCaprio alongside Ben Affleck’s Batman is one of those what-ifs fans will forever treasure.
But he chose to step away. And in doing so, he kept his career rulebook intact. He does love The Dark Knight fiercely. But when it comes to superhero worlds, DiCaprio prefers watching from the audience.
But, how bad do you want to see DiCaprio donning the cape? Let us know in the comments.
