THE BATMAN - Here's How Robert Pattinson Landed The Role Of The Dark Knight

A new report sheds some light on how Robert Pattinson landed the role of the Caped Crusader in Matt Reeves' The Batman, and that included a screentest which saw him don a Batsuit from a previous film...

By JoshWilding - Jun 04, 2019 08:06 AM EST

Filed Under: The Batman

The Hollywood Reporter has shared a very interesting piece detailing how Robert Pattinson became the new Caped Crusader for The Batman. According to the trade, the actor was flown from Cannes to Los Angeles by Warner Bros. where he donned a Batsuit from a previous Batman movie in order to perform in a screentest, which would ultimately result in the studio deciding he was the right man for the role.

However, he wasn't the only one vying to fill Bruce Wayne's shoes.

Nicholas Hoult also took part in these screentests, and while his role as Beast in the X-Men movies didn't hurt his chances, one of the things that made Pattinson jump out to both Reeves and the studio was the fact he has no links to any other comic book properties and is coming in with something of a clean slate.

Reeves, however, reportedly spent hours poring over their work before meeting them in April and it's said that he wrote his script with certain actors in mind. This version of Batman will be around 30 years old and we're not getting an origin story or a veteran superhero; instead, Pattinson's Bruce Wayne will still be trying to find his footing as Gotham City's Dark Knight.

As for what made the actor stand out in those screentests, it's said that among the questions Reeves and Warner Bros wanted answered were, "Did they embody the character? How did their eyes look and act? Is there a specialness to them?" One insider says, "[Reeves] wanted very specific things. He knew what he was looking for."

It took less than a week for the decision to be made, and now production is set to begin early 2020.

Hit the "View List" button below to check out a
recap of everything we know about The Batman!

It May End Up Being Set In The 1990s

It wouldn't really make much sense for Robert Pattinson to "replace" Ben Affleck's version of Batman given their age difference, and we've heard from a number of reliable sources that Reeves wants to focus on a younger, not quite as experienced version of the hero. As a result, rumours have done the rounds claiming that this adventure is actually going to be set during the 1990s.

This "period" setting for The Batman would free Reeves from having to link to what's come before and the rest of the DCEU, but fans will obviously be hopeful for some connections.

Honestly, though, 90s setting or not, common sense says this will essentially be a reboot for the franchise because it's doubtful that Reeves will be happy about being forced to adhere to specific plot points like Wayne Manor being burned down and Robin being murdered by Jared Leto's younger Joker.

Matt Reeves Is Planning A Trilogy

These days, an actor being signed to a three-picture deal is no great surprise, and we've seen stars who have ended up starring in trilogies along with those who have been done after just one appearance because a movie hasn't exactly lived up to expectations.

With that in mind, Robert Pattinson being signed up to star in three movies is hardly a shock, but a number of outlets have claimed that Reeves is writing The Batman with an entire trilogy in mind. If that's true, here's hoping the filmmaker is able to write the screenplays a little quicker than he has with this one because, otherwise, we'll be waiting three or four years between each chapter!

The Penguin And Catwoman Are "Confirmed" To Appear...

According to The Hollywood Reporter and a few different outlets, the lead villain in The Batman is expected to be The Penguin. He's someone we've seen on the big screen before now and definitely a bad guy who could benefit from a contemporary makeover.

Another character whose name has been mentioned time and time again is Catwoman, and while Selina Kyle may have made an appearance in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises, it would be nice to get a comic book accurate version of the anti-hero on the big screen, especially after Tim Burton took her down a rather weird, gothic route way back when.

But before you dismiss The Batman as a Batman Returns remake, there's some good news...

...We May See Even More Villains

Batman's world is full of amazing villains, and that's not something Reeves is going to be shying away from. Apparently, we could end up seeing as many as half a dozen of his rogues and The Riddler's name keeps popping up. Whether this means Batman will be facing multiple bad guys or simply paying a visit to Arkham Asylum remains to be seen, but the filmmaker may have sequels in mind.

After all, laying the groundwork here for more villains means he can gloss over their origin stories (something the Dark Knight's villains have never really needed) and just dive straight into new adventures which are bound to make comic book fans happy.

Younger Versions Of Familiar Faces

Jeremy Irons was a great Alfred Pennyworth and while his screentime in Justice League was minimal, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that J.K. Simmons could have stolen the show as Commissioner Gordon. Sadly, it doesn't sound like either of them will be returning for The Batman.

Instead, we'll most likely be getting new versions of both characters, presumably with younger actors taking on the roles. That's a shame, but providing Reeves casts them well, it could still be great.

What About Robin?

The Boy Wonder is currently part of Titans, but it seems as if that version of Dick Grayson will have ditched the Robin mantle after just a single season in order to become Nightwing. In terms of his big screen appearances, we've seen nothing of him since Batman & Robin (The Dark Knight Rises' "Robin" doesn't really count...) so his return is definitely overdue at this point.

Well, while this should be taken as a rumour for now, it's said that The Batman could end up reintroducing the character and it would definitely make sense for Reeves to explore this relationship over the course of three movies. After all, there's a lot to be said about how and why Bruce Wayne could justify having a child by his side while fighting criminals and murderers.

The Focus Will Be On The Caped Crusader's Detective Skills

Every Batman film we've seen over the years has done a good job with the Dark Knight in very different ways, but if there's one thing that they've all dropped the ball on, it's the fact that he's known as the World's Greatest Detective. Well, Reeves has promised to put the spotlight on those skills and that could mean we're getting a proper crime story that really makes use of more than just his fists.

With an enemy like The Penguin, a crime story like this makes sense, so fingers crossed Reeves' screenplay delivers plenty of twists and turns in order to make this new take particularly memorable.

Matt Reeves Has Confirmed Robert Pattinson's Casting

For those of you who are having doubts about whether Robert Pattinson really is Batman, the trades are reporting that it's a done deal, and Reeves himself has now taken to social media to confirm that's the case with a Tweet featuring a GIF of the actor along with three Bat emojis.

He beat Nicholas Hoult for the role and has signed a multi-picture contract which means "Battinson" (R.I.P. "Batfleck") will be here for quite some time. That gives the actor plenty of time to put his mark on the character and we'll hopefully get a trilogy as good as The Dark Knight series.

It's A "Noir" Tale

According to Reeves, we can expect The Batman to be a "point of view-driven, noir Batman tale." He adds that, "It's told very squarely on his shoulders, and I hope it's going to be a story that will be thrilling but also emotional." Honestly that sounds like a perfect approach to the property.

Tim Burton gave us a gothic take on the character, Nolan went down the realistic route, and Snyder went to the darker corners of Batman's universe with a world-weary version of Bruce Wayne.

Now, Reeves has the opportunity to do something completely new and this "noir" approach may be the right direction to take things in. Time will obviously tell what that ends up looking like.

Production Will Begin Next Year

According to fairly reliable sources, The Batman will start shooting in the first quarter of 2020 and that actually gives us a good idea of what to expect both this year and next. For starters, casting will continue throughout the rest of 2019, and set photos are likely to start popping up when shooting begins - depending on where Warner Bros. and Reeves decide to transform into Gotham City.

A teaser trailer arriving at next year's San Diego Comic-Con also makes sense given how the studio usually handled this type of thing, and it will hopefully be sooner rather than later we see Pattinson suited up as Batman as that costume reveal is always very exciting.

The Batman Is Inspired By Jekyll And Hyde

Late last year, Reeves was asked about his take on the Bruce Wayne/Batman divide and which of them is real and which is the facade. Interestingly, when it came to his inspiration for how that aspect of the character will be handled, the filmmaker pointed to Jekyll and Hyde being a factor.

"I think that it’s interesting, because one of the things that I’ve found interesting, just as we’re working on the story, is looking back at Jekyll and Hyde, and the idea of your shadow-self, and the idea of, we are all multiple things. It’s different aspects of who we are, and I think there are times when maybe the surface of Bruce is not really who he is, but that’s his disguise. There are times when Batman’s the disguise, but there are times when his true essence comes out, because by being veiled, a kind of instinctual side comes out that’s very pure."

It's Called The Batman...For Now

We first learned that The Batman would be the new film's title when Affleck was still in the director's chair, and while it's definitely a cool name for the DC Comics adaptation, there's nothing to say that Reeves will want to keep it (after all, he completely ditched the screenplay Affleck and Johns wrote).

Asked what the title will be in an interview last year, Reeves said: "Right now it’s called The Batman. What it will be called ultimately, I don’t know..." In other words, expect it to change, and if it does, Warner Bros. will more than likely reveal the title when production starts in early 2020.

Are you guys excited for The Batman starring Robert Pattinson? What are your thoughts on these details? Let us know that in the comments section down below.

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150 Comments

1 2 3 4

tmp3 - 6/4/2019, 8:32 AM

"But that fact actually made him more attractive to Reeves and the executive team at Warner Bros. Specifically, Pattinson has not yet appeared in a Marvel Studios movie, and name-brand actors not working for the DC Comics rival are becoming few and far between. While there are no contract provisions prohibiting Marvel actors from appearing in DC/Warner Bros. movies and vice versa, execs believe that cross-pollination dilutes both brands and can cause confusion for audiences, especially from a marketing point of view."

So Aaron Johnson was never in the running? Why were the scoopers teasing him being cast for a whole ass month lmao

tmp3 - 6/4/2019, 8:34 AM

THR also implied the main reason why Hoult was in the running was because Matt Reeves was impressed by him in The Favourite. He'd make a great Riddler

Repian - 6/4/2019, 8:43 AM

TheRationalNerd - 6/4/2019, 8:58 AM

@Repian - Very good photoshop

DillonEnnis - 6/4/2019, 10:13 AM

@Repian - Wow I've never thought of Richard E. Grant as Alfred, could potentially give us our sassiest Alfred to date haha

Mrcool210 - 6/4/2019, 8:47 AM

"This version of Batman will be around 30 years old and we're not getting an origin story or a veteran superhero; instead, Pattinson's Bruce Wayne will still be trying to find his footing as Gotham City's Dark Knight."

Nope, not a fan of that.

We've gotten the "Trying to find their feet" Batman before with Bale and even a little bit with keaton. We should be getting a Batman in his prime, not past it, not before it, dead set prime.

1 2 3 4

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THE BATMAN - Here's How Robert Pattinson Landed The Role Of The Dark Knight

A new report sheds some light on how Robert Pattinson landed the role of the Caped Crusader in Matt Reeves' The Batman, and that included a screentest which saw him don a Batsuit from a previous film...

It May End Up Being Set In The 1990s

Matt Reeves Is Planning A Trilogy

The Penguin And Catwoman Are "Confirmed" To Appear...

...We May See Even More Villains

Younger Versions Of Familiar Faces

What About Robin?

The Focus Will Be On The Caped Crusader's Detective Skills

Matt Reeves Has Confirmed Robert Pattinson's Casting

It's A "Noir" Tale

Production Will Begin Next Year

The Batman Is Inspired By Jekyll And Hyde

It's Called The Batman...For Now

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THE PENGUIN Star Colin Farrell Promises "Ton Of Violence" And A "Hard R" Rating For DC TV Series

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THE BATMAN Star Zoë Kravitz Makes Her Directorial Debut With BLINK TWICE - Check Out The First Trailer

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