Robert Pattinson was happily surprised at the fan reactions when he was cast in The Batman.
In an interview with MTV News, Pattinson reflected on the fan reactions he's received over his career and his fears when it came to playing a superhero. He had previously expressed concerns that fans would be outraged if he were to take on a comic book character. When asked about the backlash he received when he was announced as Bruce Wayne, the actor said, "It was less aggressive than when I got cast in Twilight."
Pattinson was the subject of a massive fan backlash when he was originally cast to play Edward Cullen in Twilight. Back in 2007, before the release of the first film, the Twilight novels had a huge following set on an idea of Cullen. It did not help that author Stephenie Meyer was campaigning for Henry Cavill to play the role at the time. Reflecting on that experience now, he said that compared to The Batman, his experience with Twilight "was way more painful."
After the Twilight saga ended in 2012, Pattinson took a step back from blockbusters and began working on smaller projects. Pattinson spent the following decade building a resume of strong performances. He worked with several celebrated indie filmmakers such as David Cronenberg and the Safdie brothers. He began to receive awards attention for his roles in Good Time and The Lighthouse. It was this portfolio of work that attracted Matt Reeves, director of The Batman, to Pattinson. According to Reeves, it was Pattinson's performance in Good Time that first made him consider the actor for the part of the Dark Knight.
Pattinson previously discussed his approach to Bruce Wayne in The Batman, describing the character as a "weirdo" and comparing his behavior in the cowl to that of an addict. He said, "I was trying to break that down in what I thought was a real way, instead of trying to rationalize it... He's created this intricate construction for years and years and years, which has culminated in this Batman persona. But it's not like a healthy thing that he's done."
The Batman was released on March 4 to strong reviews. The film is expected to start streaming on HBO Max on April 19.
Source: YouTube