Since Batman Begins in 2005, every one of Christopher Nolan’s movies has featured longtime collaborator Michael Caine. But if you knew that bit of trivia and wondered where Caine would show up in Dunkirk, only to be puzzled when Caine didn’t appear, fear not: Caine’s voice — just not his face — was indeed in the war epic. Toward the beginning of the film, as pilots played by Tom Hardy and Jack Lowden fly overhead, they receive radio instructions from an uncredited voice. That’s Michael Caine! Nolan confirmed the cameo to NJ.com earlier this month:
Q: Speaking of the cast — and stop me if this is meant to be a secret — but is that a Michael Caine cameo we hear early in the film? Talking on the radio to the RAF man?
A: Yes, good for you for spotting him. It’s shocking to me that a lot of people haven’t, when he has really one of the most distinctive voices in cinema. I wanted very much to squeeze him in here. It’s a bit of a nod to his character in Battle of Britain. And also, it’s Michael. He has to be in all my films, after all.
In previous Nolan films, Caine played Alfred in the Batman trilogy, the stage engineer in The Prestige, Leo DiCaprio’s dad in Inception, and Matthew McConaughey’s mentor in Interstellar.