Robert Pattinson talks why he wanted to don the cowl in The Batman

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Robert Pattinson has seen a career that has defied the odds. It would be easy to label him as a performer who got by on his angsty and smoldering good looks in the TWILIGHT franchise but he has made a significant effort to prove his talent. While many have been prepared to dismiss him because of his stint as a vampire that twinkles in the daylight, Pattinson made the right choice to show off his chops in indie efforts that were a showcase of his raw and natural talent. From GOOD TIME to HIGH LIFE to THE LIGHTHOUSE, Pattinson has left TWILIGHT in his rear-view mirror and many of his naysayers have followed suit.

Even though Pattinson has more than proven himself to be more than his TWILIGHT beginnings, nothing was going to stop the passionate response from fans when he was cast by Matt Reeves in THE BATMAN, becoming the latest actor to take on the iconic role. Pattinson will be following in the cinematic footsteps of Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale & Ben Affleck by taking on this challenge and they too were no strangers to various opinions on their casting when they were announced. An argument can be made about who took the bigger hits in the press and social media but Pattinson definitely endured his fair share of Twitter criticism by fans asking "why is the Twilight guy playing Batman?" There's no doubt that Pattinson is aware of this criticism but he doesn't seem too phased by it. 

In the June/July issue of "GQ", Pattinson touches on a few topics across an interview that reveals Pattinson's personality is perfectly suited for this self-isolation we're all going through due to the COVID-19 pandemic but it also shows off a performer who doesn't seem to express any fear about taking on such a well-known role and franchise after backing away from studio films when the TWILIGHT saga wrapped up its critically panned but very lucrative run. The interviewer asks Pattinson why he wanted to do THE BATMAN and he begins by laughing and saying "What are the reasons not to do it?"

"I think sometimes the downsides—which I’ve definitely thought about—the downsides kind of seem like upsides. I kind of like the fact that not only are there very, very, very well-done versions of the character which seem pretty definitive, but I was thinking that there are multiple definitive playings of the character. I was watching the making of Batman & Robin the other day. And even then, George Clooney was saying that he was worried about the fact that it’s sort of been done, that a lot of the ground you should cover with the character has been already covered. And that’s in ’96, ’97?"

Pattinson goes on to say that it was more fun to take on the role knowing so many other people have tackled it before him because more ground has been covered which allows him to discover where his opening is in putting his take on the character:

"And then there’s Christian Bale, and Ben Affleck’s one. And then I was thinking, it’s fun when more and more ground has been covered. Like, where is the gap? You’ve seen this sort of lighter version, you’ve seen a kind of jaded version, a kind of more animalistic version. And the puzzle of it becomes quite satisfying, to think: Where’s my opening? And also, do I have anything inside me which would work if I could do it? And then also, it’s a legacy part, right? I like that. There’s so few things in life where people passionately care about it before it’s even happened. You can almost feel that pushback of anticipation, and so it kind of energizes you a little bit. It’s different from when you’re doing a part and there’s a possibility that no one will even see it. Right? In some ways it’s, I don’t know… It makes you a little kind of spicy

The interview reveals that Pattinson found out he was cast as Bruce Wayne/Batman while filming Christopher Nolan's TENET which seems fitting since Nolan had his own run with the Caped Crusader having helmed the acclaimed THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY. TENET is making news in its own right by being the lone summer major release to not vacate its original premiere date in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the early part of last year, Nolan gave Pattinson the call about TENET after watching Pattinson in GOOD TIME & THE LOST CITY OF Z because he was fascinated by his performances in both films. “Rob seemed to be in exactly the right place in his career to want to come along and invent with me,” Nolan says. Pattinson also realized he was ready to take on big projects like this again and maybe his readiness to do TENET led to his confidence in taking on THE BATMAN.

Pattinson has yet to see TENET and when asked if he could say what the film was about the actor says "Even if I had seen it, I genuinely don’t know if I’d be able to… I was just thinking, I just called up my assistant 20 minutes ago: ‘What the f*ck do I say? I have no idea.’ ” Despite Pattinson's jokey response, Nolan suggests that Pattinson was partly messing with the interviewer about knowing what the film is about and speaks to Pattinson's intelligence and process that shows he knew exactly what they were doing:

"Rob’s read on the script was extremely acute. But he also understood the ambiguities of the film and the possibilities that spin off in the mind around the story. And so both things are true. Yes, he’s f*cking with you, because he had a complete grasp of the script. But a complete grasp of the script, in the case of Tenet, is one that understands and acknowledges the need for this film to live on in the audience’s mind, and suggest possibilities in the audience’s mind. And he was very much a partner in crime with that."

Pattinson, who is staying in London in an apartment with his girlfriend that was rented for him by the studio while he was shooting THE BATMAN, is on a meal plan for the film, with food also provided by the studio, and they also hired a trainer for Pattinson. The actor reveals that the trainer left him with a Bosu ball and a single weight with a plea to actively use both while production was halted but Pattinson says he ignoring her a bit. “I think if you’re working out all the time, you’re part of the problem,” he says, sighing.  “You set a precedent. No one was doing this in the ’70s. Even James Dean—he wasn’t exactly ripped.” That being said, he discloses that he spoke with his THE BATMAN co-star Zoe Kravitz, who plays Catwoman in the film, and she's exercising five days a week during their time away from the set.  Pattinson may not be doing much now, but I'm sure he'll be back into it and ready to go when it's time to film again.

I already had respect for Pattinson as an actor because of the choices he made post-TWILIGHT. The franchise was huge and I wouldn't fault him for being a part of it. He was 21 when he did the first film and now at 34. his career choices have broadened and he has refined his talent as an actor. I think he's going to bring it 100% in THE BATMAN and I look forward to his take on the character.

Do YOU think Pattinson will do Batman justice? While you decide, you can catch Pattinson up next in TENET on July 17, 2020, while THE BATMAN hits screens on October 1, 2021.