A Moment From Robert Pattinson's Batman Audition Actually Inspired A Scene In The Film
From the moment he was cast, it was clear that Robert Pattinson would be a totally new kind of Batman. Rumors that the "Twilight" alumni would star in the latest leg of the franchise set the internet ablaze, but luckily, widespread speculation didn't hurt his chances of starring in Matt Reeves' 2022 film, "The Batman." Pattinson's audition went so well that it instantly landed him the part, but that wasn't all. His screen test was so effective that it directly inspired a scene in the movie.
Pattinson might seem like an odd choice for the typically stoic and raspy-voiced Dark Knight, but Reeves had a totally new vision for Batman. This Bruce Wayne would not be a buttoned-up businessman, blending in seamlessly to high society. Rather, he would be an emo overgrown teenager still reeling from the death of his parents. Bruce's status as an orphan has always defined him and motivated him to fight crime, but the way this trauma impacts his inner life is rarely explored. That approach to the character is part of what drew Pattinson to the project when he first met with Reeves.
"[Reeves] had a really interesting take," the actor explained to Variety in 2022. "It was Kurt Cobain, Nirvana references, which as soon as he said it, I'm like, 'Oh! Okay.' That's definitely a different angle on Bruce than we've ever really seen before."
Shortly after this initial meeting — before Pattinson even had the chance to formally audition for the role — news outlets began reporting that the "Good Time" star would be the next Batman, and he thought his chances were blown.
"When that thing leaked, I was f—ing furious," he recalled in a 2019 interview with Variety. "Everyone was so upset. Everyone was panicking from my team. I sort of thought that had blown up the whole thing."
Before he even put on the Batsuit, Pattinson was Batman
Thankfully, Pattinson was still given the chance to try out for "The Batman." It was then he finally got to try on a Batsuit and debut his own unique take on Bruce Wayne for the very first time.
"You're trying to think of the way to balance, how to bring something new to it and not want to scare people off," he continued. "And work in the confines of the costume."
Working with the Batsuit was easier said than done. Although it did feel "transformative" and "powerful" to wear, the arduous process of getting it onto the actor's body was "pretty humiliating."
"Once you've got it on, it's like, 'Yeah, I feel strong, I feel tough, even though I had to have someone squeezing my butt cheeks into the legs,'" Pattinson went on.
Despite the trials and tribulations that befell him, the "Tenet" actor was still able to deliver an incredibly compelling performance in his audition. But as it turns out, Reeves knew Pattinson was the perfect pick for the role before he even put on the suit. All it took was a bit of music to put the director in the mood.
"The night before Rob was to screen test, [composer Michael Giacchino] sent me a secret little MP4 — it was both Bruce's theme and Batman's theme in this incredible suite," the director recalled in a behind-the-scenes segment. "And I was blown away, it was so emotional."
Upon hearing the themes, Reeves immediately alerted his producing partner, Dylan Clark. (The pair also worked together on the Planet of the Apes franchise, which Giacchino composed for as well.) But the music was just one piece of the puzzle — and Pattinson filled in the rest.
Pattinson putting on his makeup made its way into the film
Before Pattinson got inside the Batsuit at his audition for "The Batman," Reeves played a bit of mood music to set the tone. The music inspired a completely unscripted moment that was so powerful it ended up making its way into the film.
"I played [Batman's theme] as Rob was putting that makeup on his eyes and I was like, 'This is in the movie. We're doing this,'" he continued. "That's where that scene comes from, it literally came out of Rob's audition."
Despite the premature announcements of Pattinson's casting, Reeves wasn't entirely sure that he wanted him to play Bruce Wayne — until that moment. As soon as he saw the actor applying his black eye makeup to Giacchino's composition, their singular vision for the new Batman truly clicked into place.
"It was one of those things where I just felt like this was a very special, fated day," Reeves went on. "But there we were listening to the music, knowing that he was going to put on this Batsuit that was part of the history of Batman, it was just one of these things where you suddenly felt you were in a long line of history that meant so much."
This vision of Pattinson in his Batman eye makeup without the protective armor of the Batsuit is the embodiment of Reeves' fresh take on Bruce Wayne: grungy and vulnerable. Pattinson appears in his eye makeup alone in the film, although this time it's after taking the Batsuit off. He's back in civilian mode but still carrying the weight of his vigilante double life.
Seeing Bruce Wayne between Batsuit and monkey suit allows us to see the beloved and troubled character in a totally new light. Without this serendipitous moment in Pattinson's audition, "The Batman" might have been just another Batman movie instead of one of the best films of 2022.