Though Leonardo DiCaprio cemented his status as an A-lister with his iconic turn as Jack Dawson in "Titanic" in 1997, he still had several other notable acting credits before that James Cameron film. Through works like "What's Eating Gilbert Grape," "Romeo + Juliet," and "The Quick and the Dead," DiCaprio put himself on the pop culture radar in a big way. This meant that he was in contention for a number of those roles calling for young male performers in the 1990s. This included the part of Dick Grayson (aka Robin) in the Joel Schumacher "Batman" movies, a part that, on paper, promised to be a big break for a young actor given the box office track record of the franchise up to that point.
However, DiCaprio turned down the opportunity, with the actor clarifying in 2015 that, despite having a fondness for director Joel Schumacher, he just didn't feel like he was ready to play a superhero at that time. This turned out to be a wise move for a multitude of reasons. For one thing, "Batman Forever" and its sequel "Batman & Robin" scored negative reviews and a toxic reputation that could've sank DiCaprio's career. For another, avoiding these films allowed DiCaprio a chance to take on projects like "Titanic." Though headlining a "Batman" movie must've seemed enticing at the time, not seizing the opportunity to fight crime in Gotham City was the correct move for DiCaprio's career.
