It has been a busy and exciting year forMatt Reeves' universe of DC Comics movies and TV shows. We saw the overwhelming success ofThe Penguin, the spin-off series toThe BatmanstarringColin FarrellandCristin Milioti, which ends with the Bat-Signal shining in the sky, hinting at the first movie’s sequel. Following that excitement, however, it was announced thatThe Batman 2was being pushed to 2027.
Not only did the first film give us Farrell in a jaw-dropping chameleon performance, but it also introduced us to a new actor behind the Caped Crusader’s cowl and cape.Robert Pattinsonhad long shed hisTwilightimage before 2022, but inThe Batman,he showed that he was destined to be Bruce Wayne for years to come. That was a realization that was even seen in his screen test, when he put on the iconic costumes worn byGeorge ClooneyandVal Kilmer.
Matt Reeves' Take on Batman Is Very Different From Past Adaptations
After the idea of aBen Affleck-led solo Batman movie fell through, Matt Reeves was brought in to create the next film. He wanted to focus on a younger Bruce Wayne who is in the early stages of discovering his superhero side, and who is still deep in the grief of losing his parents.
Several young big names were looked at, likeAaron Taylor-JohnsonandNicholas Hoult, but from the beginning,Robert Pattinson was Reeves' top choice. Pattinson had ditched the vampire fad and remade himself as a serious actor withimpressive moviessuch asGood TimeandThe Lighthouse. Pattinson had the chops, the jawline, and the brooding nature thatReeves wanted for a Bruce Wayne who was likeKurt Cobain. However,Reeves still needed to see what he’d look like as Batman.
Robert Pattinson Did a Screen Test in the George Clooney and Val Kilmer Batsuits
As is custom, a screen test was conducted to see how Robert Pattinson looked as the Dark Knight. To do this, Pattinson described toJimmy Kimmel Live!what happened next.He was taken to the Warner Bros. costume department, where there was a cage that contained all the past Batman suits. If that wasn’t intimidating enough, the costume department workers who brought out the suits were the same people who’d worked on those Batman movies. They stressed to Pattinson that he couldn’t mess the suits up, and Pattinson said he tried on every suit.
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He added, “It’s the size of your head that’s the deciding factor.I think the body fit more on Val Kilmer’s one, and the head fit on Clooney’s one, so they kind of Frankensteined it.” Pattinson said that neither really fit well, as he was trying to push his body into a disintegrating piece of thirty-year-old foam.At Fan Dome 2021, Pattinson spoke about the nerves and the adrenaline rush of trying on the suits. Matt Reeves recalled, “Rob did his first [screen test] by himself and he literally was wearing, I believe, Val Kilmer’s Batsuit. Which, by the way, the moment [Pattinson] put it on, that was kind of a crazy moment.” It was also a sign of fate, as Val Kilmer’s suit is whatChristian Balewore for his screen test as well.
Robert Pattinson’s Batman Sets Himself Apart From Those Who Came Before Him
Batman might look cool, but all the actors who have played him in modern film adaptations have had one big problem: they really couldn’t move that well. In an interview withCollider, Reeves admitted that this time had to be different, saying:
“Rob [Pattinson] had a very important part in designing the suit in that he had to be able to wear it, he had to be able to fight in it. One of the things about this Batsuit is that it is very practical. The whole idea is that he’s made it himself. And so, we needed to be able to see how it would fit on him and all the ways he could move, but also make it look like something that was still evolving.”
Other Batman portrayals had a more comic book feel, with abs and fake muscle etched into the foam. PoorGeorge Clooneyeven sported nipples forBatman Forever. WithChristopher Nolan’s trilogy,Christian Bale’s Batmanis more armored and militaristic. For Reeves' Dark Knight, his Batman is just starting and figuring his things out. Pattinson might look like a badass as the Caped Crusader, but the suit also seems incomplete,as if Bruce Wayne is still deciding on what works best. This results in a Batman who doesn’t come off as a comic book or someone indestructible, but as a tortured soul who wants to fight crime — even if he’s still a work in progress.
The Batmanis available to watch on Max in the U.S.
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The Batman
In a dark city plagued by crime and corruption, a masked crusader investigates a puzzling string of crimes linked by cryptic messages. His journey into the depths of the city’s sinister underworld reveals connections among its most powerful citizens and forces him to confront his own complex relationship with justice.
