Robert Pattinson Obsessed Over Getting The Batman Role For A Year

Robert Pattinson says that he obsessed over playing the Caped Crusader in The Batman for a year. Known for playing Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Edward Cullen in the Twilight franchise, now he’s ready to join the comic book movie sandbox via the upcoming Matt Reeves DC Films blockbuster. Before landing the gig, however, he said that he consistently stalked the casting process for the role.

Originally, Ben Affleck was set to direct and star in The Batman, which was going to exist within the DCEU. Eventually, Affleck pulled out from the franchise, leaving it with Reeves, who reworked it to be a standalone story following a younger version of the Dark Knight instead. After a rigorous casting process, Pattinson was tapped to be the next Bruce Wayne — drawing the ire of those who weren’t convinced that he could do the role justice based on the actor’s mainstream work. But as the public learned more of what he’s been up to in the last few years, including a series of critically-acclaimed indie films, some eventually mellowed on the idea, being more willing to give Pattinson a chance to prove himself.

Related: Robert Pattinson Is Making Batman’s No Kill Rule Even Better

Apparently, before the world even started discussing whether or not he’s able to pull off being the next Batman, Pattinson was secretly obsessing over the possibility of getting it. Talking to Total Film (via Games Radar), the actor said that even his agents were surprised that he was so eager to have the chance to play the DC role considering that he’s gradually become an indie darling the last several years. Read his full comment below:

“I was aiming for quite different stuff. Obviously it’s basically the jewel in the crown, of the parts you can really get as an actor. But I’d never really thought I was anywhere close to doing it, and especially with the other parts I was attracted to at the time.”

“I just kept obsessively checking up on it for the next year or so. Even my agents were like, ‘Oh, interesting. I thought you only wanted to play total freaks?’ And I was like, ‘He is a freak!'”

Hearing that Pattinson was interested in playing Batman before he was even cast is a good indication. The actor has already proven to have the acting chops to bring a different and nuanced version of the character to the big screen. But considering what happened with Affleck, which involved months of rumors that he was no longer interested in portraying the role, having a successor that’s fully invested in the character will give the reassurance to fans that not only will Pattinson do his best, he will be committed to doing more movies moving forward. In any case, The Batman is designed to kick off an entirely new pocket in the DC multiverse, so expect more of Pattinson’s Dark Knight in the upcoming years.

At this point, The Batman is still set to debut in theaters next month and is expected to have the biggest Batman film opening ever. This is despite previous concerns that it was going to be delayed again due to a new wave of coronavirus infections. As its release date nears, Pattinson and the rest of the cast will continue doing press junkets for the film, giving the actor the chance to further prove his investment in playing an iconic role.

More: Affleck’s Flash Movie Response Shows How The DCEU Failed His Batman

Source: Total Film (via Games Radar)

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