Robert Pattison’s Story About Landing The Batman Role Is Pretty Wild

Robert Pattinson in a suit

Batman is arguably the most popular superhero of all time, with a fascinating dark backstory and his lack of actual powers. As such, he's been adapted for film countless times over the years, with a group of actors getting the chance to don the cape an cowl. Following Ben Affleck's departure from the DCEU, Twilight alum Robert Pattinson was cast to play the title character of Matt Reeves' The Batman. And the story about how he found out about landing the gig is pretty wild.

Following his work on Twilight, Robert Pattinson did a slew of smaller budget movies, working with visionary director and getting a reputation as a serious actor in the process. But he's got two huge blockbusters coming down the pipeline: The Batman and Christopher Nolan's highly-anticipated Tenet. And it turns out that he landed the role of Bruce Wayne on his very first day of filming Tenet. He recently shared this experience, saying:

The morning of the first day. It was kind of insane. It was a very, very intense weekend. That was a crazy way to start Chris’ film. [laughs] I think I was doing the screen test, as well, on the Saturday before I started.

It sounds like Robert Pattinson jumped back into the world of blockbusters with both feet. Because on top of whatever nerves he had about working on a Christopher Nolan set with Tenet, the 34-year old actor also was grappling with a potentially career-changing new gig. The Batman will make Pattinson a superhero, and has the potential to start a longer tenure in the DCEU.

Robert Pattinson's comments to Total Film highlight what a seismic change he's currently having in regards to film roles. He's got a huge resume of movies including The Lighthouse, High Life, and Good Time, but now Pattinson is stepping back into high-profile projects like The Batman and Tenet. Both projects have a ton of positive buzz behind them, but that doesn't mean the actor isn't (understandably) nervous.

Christopher Nolan is a director known for his high concepts and stunning cinematography. Given his reputation, there's always a ton of anticipation behind each new release. Tenet is no exception, with Robert Pattinson playing a supporting role alongside John David Washington's protagonist. The movie's plot is largely a mystery, but the trailer's time-reversing visuals are sure to get moviegoers in theaters.

As a reminder, you can check out the trailer for Tenet below.

As for The Batman, Robert Pattinson will be leading a stellar cast of actors assembled by director/writer Matt Reeves. The actor has some big shoes to fill, given the slew of Batman performances in the past including Ben Affleck's recent tenure as Gotham's protector. But the cast has universally praised Reeves' vision from the movie, Pattinson's costume and bat-vehicles are very striking.

Tenet is currently set to arrive in theaters on July 17th, with The Batman set for October 1st, 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.