Real Reason Why Matt Reeves Decided to Cast Robert Pattinson as Batman

Robert Pattinson’s portrayal of Batman left fans across the globe thrilled and craving more. With the neo-noir spin on Gotham’s dark knight, The Batman became a standout film, earning widespread acclaim for both its lead actor and visionary director, Matt Reeves. As excitement builds for the sequel, many wonder how Pattinson landed the iconic role in the first place.

Robert Pattinson in The Batman | Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

Casting the right actor to portray a beloved character is no small task, it’s about finding someone who brings a fresh yet authentic take to the role. Recently, Reeves revealed the thought process behind his decision to cast Pattinson as the caped crusader, shedding light on what made the star the perfect fit for this gritty and complex version of Batman.

Matt Reeves imagined Robert Pattinson as Batman

Matt Reeves had Robert Pattinson in mind while crafting his vision of Batman. The actor is set to reprise his role as Gotham’s brooding hero in The Batman: Part II, which is slated for release in 2027. When Pattinson was first cast as Bruce Wayne for the 2022 film, the choice sparked mixed reactions.

However, his amazing performance silenced critics and won over audiences, earning praise for its depth and intensity. The film itself stood out for its striking visuals and compelling storytelling, making Reeves’s bold casting decision a masterstroke.

Robert Pattinson and Mark Reeves on the set of The Batman | Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

In an insightful chat for Variety’s Directors on Directors series, Reeves sat down with Zoë Kravitz, who played Selina Kyle/Catwoman in The Batman. Kravitz, having recently ventured into filmmaking with her psychological thriller Blink Twice, turned the conversation to Reeves’s decision-making process for their superhero collaboration.

Reeves explained how he envisioned Bruce Wayne as a complex character, a tortured, orphaned prince with a raw edge. While developing the script, he felt Pattinson would embody this nuanced take perfectly. A recommendation to watch one of Pattinson’s films confirmed Reeves’s instincts to be right.

Robert Pattinson’s performance in Good Times earned him the role of Batman

Robert Pattinson’s performance in the 2017 indie crime-thriller Good Time played a significant role in securing his spot as the Dark Knight. While Matt Reeves was already considering Pattinson for the role of Batman, watching the Safdie brothers’ film confirmed his decision.

The movie showed Pattinson’s ability to dive deep into a character, leaving no doubt in Reeves’s mind that he was the perfect choice for the iconic role.

Robert Pattinson in the movie Good Time | Credit: A24

Before the Safdie brothers gained mainstream recognition with Uncut Gems, they delivered Good Time, a gritty, underrated gem that put Pattinson’s talent on full display. In the film, he played Connie Nikas, a small-time criminal whose life takes a chaotic turn after a botched bank robbery.

Alongside his developmentally disabled brother Nick, played by Bennie Safdie, Connie’s desperate attempts to free Nick from police custody drive the intense narrative. The movie earned critical acclaim, pulling in $3.2 million on a modest $2 million budget.

It was this raw, unfiltered performance that convinced Reeves Pattinson could bring a similar depth to Bruce Wayne, a tormented, complex hero navigating the dark alleys of Gotham. According to Variety, Reeves said

And then somewhere in there, someone told me to watch the 2017 Robert Pattinson movie Good Time. And I was like, ‘That’s the only person I could imagine as this Batman. I don’t think that I know what it is if it’s not him.’ It was weirdly fated, because it turned out that he was obsessed with Batman.

While Reeves wasn’t sure if Pattinson would be open to taking on a role in a massive franchise like DC, he was pleasantly surprised to learn that the actor was a huge Batman fan.

Why Gotham’s protector was destined to be portrayed by Robert Pattinson

Robert Pattinson in The Batman | Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

Robert Pattinson has always been a Batman enthusiast, and landing the role of the Dark Knight felt like a dream come true for him. It was as if fate had its own plans to unite the actor with the caped crusader. Interestingly, Pattinson had never auditioned for a comic-book movie before The Batman.

He had been exploring indie dramas like Good Time and The Lighthouse, steering clear of blockbuster franchises after his early stints in Twilight and Harry Potter. But Batman was different, an opportunity too iconic to pass up.

At the time, the future of the character on the big screen was uncertain. Ben Affleck had stepped away from the role after Justice League, leaving a void in Gotham’s cinematic universe. When Pattinson heard about Matt Reeves’s reimagining of the character, he couldn’t resist. He became fixated on the idea, eagerly following every development surrounding the movie.

Robert Pattinson in The Batman | Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

While his agents were surprised by his interest, Pattinson found Batman’s complex and mysterious nature irresistible. Pattinson said (via GamesRadar+)

I just kept obsessively checking up on it for the next year or so. Even my agents were like, ‘Oh, interesting. I thought you only wanted to play total freaks?’ And I was like, ‘He is a freak!’

Growing up, Pattinson was captivated by the Dark Knight and watched every Batman movie in theaters. Unlike other superhero franchises, Batman held a special place for him. Each film, in his view, reflected its era uniquely, making the character timeless. Pattinson said,

Out of all the comic-book characters and that kind of movie, I’ve seen every single one of the Batman movies in the cinema, which I can’t really say I’ve done for any other series. I was always really looking forward to them coming out. He’s got this enormous trauma inside him, and he’s built this intricate, psychological mechanism to handle it. It’s like a really, really, really bad self-therapy, which has ended up with him being Batman at the end, as self-help

For Pattinson, taking on the role wasn’t just about playing a superhero, it was about embodying a character he had admired for years, one that felt both familiar and deeply personal. His passion made him the perfect choice for Gotham’s brooding protector.

The Batman is available to stream on Max.