Figuring out which actor will suit up as Batman for the new trilogy of films coming from Warner Bros. would seem like it would be a laborious decision. If you mess up, the single biggest character in the entire studio repertoire could be compromised for years to come. As seen with the Ben Affleck casting (though the films were more to blame than his acting), if you miss the mark, there will be no shortage of folks there to tell you how wrong you were. So, when writer-director Matt Reeves and WB were deciding who would wear the cape and cowl for the upcoming ‘Batman’ reboot, common sense would dictate that the decision was probably discussed, at length, for months.
But in reality, that was not the case at all. The entire casting process for Robert Pattinson as Batman took only several weeks.
According to a new report from THR, the rise of Robert Pattison’s Batman came about quickly and with very little trouble. A source close to the situation not only called the casting “quick,” but said that it was actually “quicker than normal,” which is baffling considering the stakes of such a decision.
Apparently, while rumors and speculation over the last year said that Reeves and the studio were deciding between a huge number of actors, the truth is that the filmmaker always had his mind set on a small number of potential Batman actors. In fact, as he put the finishing touches on his story and script, the director was narrowing the choices down to his top two, which always included Robert Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult. That means that Jack O’Connell and Armie Hammer were never in the discussion, despite endless reports. Sorry, folks.
From there, both actors met with Reeves in April to discuss the project. Then during the week of May 20, Hoult and Pattinson flew back to meet with the studio and Reeves and did the now-famous screen tests in a full Batsuit. As per tradition, the screen tests were conducted in a previously-used Batsuit, though the exact one isn’t named.
During that time, both actors had pre-negotiated deals, leaving the decision based solely on who Reeves and the studio thought was best. And as we know, Pattinson is the lucky winner, based not only on his screen tests, but apparently, judging by Reeves’ Twitter account, his work on films like “Good Time.”
Now, Pattinson has the better part of a year to get in shape and prepare for his role as Batman before the film begins production in early 2020. The new ‘Batman’ reboot will arrive in theaters on June 25, 2021.
???????????? pic.twitter.com/2AaQaexvUF
— Matt Reeves (@mattreevesLA) June 3, 2019