"I'd rather drive the Humvee": Mark Wahlberg reveals how he dodged a bullet by not getting in Batman & Robin

Mark Wahlberg just looked back on one of the close calls of his professional life, confessing that he is glad he never ended up being a part of the 1997 superhero movie Batman & Robin. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight on September 25, 2025, the actor revealed that although he met with Joel Schumacher to discuss playing Robin in his film, he is thankful the role did not fall into his lap.

He said,

"I was in talk, I did not get official offer, but I was meeting with Joe Schumacher about Batman and Robin. Okay for Robin and uh, yeah, I'm glad that didn't come my way. I was a fan of Joel's and his other work, but I was not really, uh, interested in that type of project."

He further explained,

"And I was actually telling people for the first time that I met Cameron as well. When I went to meet Jim Cameron, I was only interested in the Humvee that was outside. And I was like, is that your Humvee? And he was like, yeah. I was like, can I drive that? And he was like, yeah, you don't wanna meet on the movie."

By the mid-1990s, Mark Wahlberg was moving from his early career as rapper Marky Mark to a budding acting career. He had already appeared in Renaissance Man (1994), won his first leading role in Fear (1996), and was on the cusp of critical acclaim for his breakthrough performance as Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights (1997).

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What did Mark Wahlberg say about not doing Batman & Robin?

Mark Wahlberg (Image Via Getty Images)

During the ET interview, when asked whether he regretted declining any roles, following Leonardo DiCaprio's announcement that he regretted declining Boogie Nights, Mark Wahlberg said he had dodged a couple bullets. Without identifying individual projects, he conceded some were not so good. When pressed for examples, however, he dropped one name: he was offered the role of Robin in Joel Schumacher's Batman & Robin.

Mark Wahlberg explained that although he had a respect for Schumacher's other films, he wasn't attracted to that kind of project. Recalling the sit-down, he shared a lighthearted anecdote about meeting with director James Cameron sometime during the same period.

Rather than being thrilled at the prospect of working together, he confessed to being captivated by Cameron's Humvee outside. He would rather drive the Humvee, Wahlberg recalled, explaining that he actually took the car for a spin instead of focusing on the audition.

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More details on Mark Wahlberg and Batman & Robin explored

Mark Wahlberg is an American actor, producer, and former rapper born in 1971 in Boston. He initially became popular in the early 1990s with hip hop group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch before becoming an actor.

His initial performances in Fear and Boogie Nights established him as a prominent rising star. Wahlberg subsequently achieved critical and commercial acclaim with appearances in films like The Departed, The Fighter, and Patriots Day.

Best known for his versatility in playing action, drama, and comedy, he is now one of Hollywood's top box-office draws.

Mark Wahlberg avoided the film, Batman & Robin, which was the fourth installment of Warner Bros.' Batman franchise, released in 1997. It was directed by Joel Schumacher and scripted by Akiva Goldsman and featured George Clooney as Batman, Chris O'Donnell as Robin, Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy, and Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze.

The storyline took Batman and Robin on a mission to halt Freeze and Ivy while navigating increasing tensions within their relationship. Alicia Silverstone joined the cast as Batgirl in the film. Even with its large cast and 125–160 million budget, the film received a negative reception for its campy tone, dialogue, and merchandising push.

It made $238 million internationally but is commonly accepted as one of the weakest Batman films, resulting in Warner Bros.' shelving of its scheduled sequel, Batman Unchained.

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Interested viewers can watch Batman & Robin on Amazon Prime Video.