Why Robert Pattinson's Batman Casting Was Reportedly Quicker Than Normal

The most significant casting news of the past week was, undoubtedly, the confirmation of Robert Pattinson as Batman in Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Pattinson’s casting has initiated a new wave of anticipation for the film--and, if various sources are to be believed, his casting was actually far quicker than typical for the character.

According to CBR, Reeves initially considered Pattinson for the role when he was developing The Batman, which apparently features a version of the character who is 30 years old. Reeves was unsure of whether Pattinson would accept, however, since the actor has largely appeared in indie films since his worldwide success as Edward Cullen in the Twilight series.

Once Pattinson became interested, however, the pace of the casting was unusually quick, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Pattinson and main rival Nicholas Hoult, according to a source, flew to Burbank and performed in a screen test with a past Batman costume in order to gauge their ability to emote and act through the costume. Ultimately, Reeves made the decision based on this test footage.

Both Pattinson and Hoult were attractive to DC Entertainment because, reportedly, of their involvement in indie films and their lack of involvement in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Though Hoult has appeared as Beast in Fox’s X-Men films, this evidently did not weigh heavily in the decision, considering that Hoult’s face is largely masked by makeup and that these films do not take place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Nonetheless, Pattinson received the role in the end. From here, according to The Hollywood Reporter, he will likely receive a fitting for his own Batsuit and begin shooting in 2020 before the film releases on June 5, 2021.

As for us, we’re excited to see the way Pattinson inhabits the role. Clearly, he had something that Reeves saw--and we want to see it, too.