Mark Wahlberg recently looked back on one of the close calls of his professional life, confessing that he was glad he never ended up being a part of the 1997 Joel Schumacher superhero movie Batman & Robin.In an interview with Entertainment Tonight on September 25, 2025, the actor revealed that although he met with Schumacher to discuss playing Robin in his film, he was thankful the role did not fall into his lap. The role later went to Chris O'Donnell."I was in talks, I did not get an official offer, but I was meeting with Joel Schumacher about Batman & Robin. For Robin and 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 interested in that type of project," he said.He went on to recall another incident where he met James Cameron."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. Do you not want to be in the movie?' I said, 'Well, I'd rather drive the Humvee,'" he shared.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).What did Mark Wahlberg say about not doing Batman & Robin?Mark Wahlberg (Image via Getty)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 "weren't so good." When pressed for examples, however, he dropped one name. He said that 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 parked outside. He said that he had wanted to drive the Humvee, explaining that he actually wanted to take the car for a spin instead of focusing on talking about a film they could work together on.Read more: Tyler Perry's Ruth & Boaz: Full list of cast and characters exploredMore details on Mark Wahlberg and Batman & Robin exploredGeorge Clooney as Batman and Chris O'Donnell as Robin in Batman & Robin (Image via Warner Bros.)Mark Wahlberg is an American actor, producer, and former rapper born in 1971 in Boston. He initially became popular in the early 1990s with the 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. The cast of the movie featured George Clooney as Batman, Chris O'Donnell as Robin, Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl, 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. 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 film adaptations made, resulting in Warner Bros.' shelving of its scheduled sequel, Batman Unchained.Read more: "Immoral, anti-ethical": Redditors bash Comic Con for resurrecting Stan Lee via AI hologramInterested viewers can watch Batman & Robin on Amazon Prime Video.