Casting rumor backlash almost cost Robert Pattinson the role of Batman

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

There are certain things that people can say to me where I immediately tune them out and question their ability for rational thought. "Stanley Kubrick faked the moon landing" is one. "9/11 was an inside job" is another. From a cinema standpoint, one that really causes this reaction is when people discount the acting talents of Robert Pattinson just because he was in the TWILIGHT films. If you say that I'm just going to assume you haven't seen him in GOOD TIME…or THE KING…or THE LOST CITY OF Z…or THE LIGHTHOUSE…or literally a myriad of other movies that prove the dude can flat out act his ass off. That's why I was thrilled when I learned that Matt Reeves had cast Pattinson as the eponymous Dark Knight in THE BATMAN.

However, not everybody felt the same way I did. Despite evidence to the contrary, many fans weren't able to see beyond his role as Edward Cullen in the TWILIGHT saga. That fact almost cost the English actor the role before he even auditioned. In an interview with the outlet Time Out, Pattinson commented on a number of topics regarding his career including 2019's THE LIGHTHOUSE and his upcoming Christopher Nolan film TENET. Eventually, the talk turned to his role in THE BATMAN, currently filming in the U.K. Rumors of his casting and the subsequent fan backlash appeared online while he was en route to the Cannes film festival in to order promote THE LIGHTHOUSE. While an audition was scheduled, Pattinson hadn't even had the opportunity to read for the part yet. Despite this fact, it didn't stop the press at Cannes from haranguing him:

"I hadn’t even done the audition. It’s just nerve-wracking because I was really excited about it and you think: really, is this how I’m going to lose this role? It’s the most annoying circumstances to lose something. Everyone was like: ‘Is that true, is that true?’ And it wasn’t true at the time, I hadn’t got the job. It was pretty terrifying."

Robert Pattinson went on to say that he and his team were "f*&king furious" about the leak and ensuing backlash, worried it would cost him the role. That worry only escalated when a petition began online to prevent Warner Bros from casting Pattinson. Thankfully, Matt Reeves possesses enough integrity to ignore the cries of myopic fanboy manbabies who can't see beyond their own Tim Burton replica Batmobiles. Pattinson thoroughly impressed Matt Reeves and beat out Nicholas Hoult for the role.

It's far too early to know whether or not Robert Pattinson will succeed in the role of the Caped Crusader. THE BATMAN just started filming and we are probably a good eleven months out from even a teaser trailer. It's also important to note that virtually ever actor that's played Batman, from Michael Keaton to Ben Affleck, has experienced some backlash from fandom. So what's happening to Robert Pattinson is pretty much par for the course. Personally I'm rooting for Pattinson, Reeves, and all parties involved. Here's hoping the people behind THE BATMAN deliver a thoroughly entertaining film.