Robert Pattinson, the latest actor to fill the role of the Caped Crusader, doesn’t see the character as a conventional “good guy,” which could have some interesting consequences in his upcoming film The Batman. Made famous by his central role in the Twilight saga, Pattinson was cast as the next Batman after Ben Affleck stepped down from the role earlier this year. Since then, he’s been mostly tight-lipped about the 2021 production (as has everyone involved), but that rule hasn’t included his feelings on playing a beloved superhero.

The role is a bit of a change of pace for Pattinson, 33, who after Twilight and his earlier, smaller role in the Harry Potter franchise, began taking on independent, art house films like The Rover, Queen of the Desert, and more recently The Lighthouse, Robert Eggers’ new comedy-thriller in which he stars opposite character actor Willem Dafoe. His performances have earned him frequent critical praise, much of which seems to be thanks to Pattinson’s obsession with doing something different in every film, scene, and even take. “I just hate it when I do a second take exactly the same as the first take,” he says. “They might as well fire me.”

When The New York Times asked him about playing the Batman, then, Pattinson was characteristically enthralled by the idea of change. “I’ve always thought that the only reason you’d want to play a good guy all the time is because you’re desperately ashamed of what you’re doing in real life,” he joked, adding that “the most fun part of doing movies is that you can explore the more grotesque or naughty sides of your psyche.” Which checks out with his description of Batman, who according to Pattinson is “not a real hero.” “His morality is a little bit off. He’s not the golden boy, unlike almost every other comic-book character. There is a simplicity to his worldview, but where it sits is strange, which allows you to have more scope with the character.”

All of this might sound like an indication that Pattinson will play the World’s Greatest Detective in a somewhat unhinged, even immoral way, similar to Affleck’s portrayal of the character in 2016’s Batman v. Superman or the Watchman anti-hero Rorschach. But the actor himself couldn’t really tell you how this view might impact his performance - yet. “I just fear that when I say anything about Batman, people online are like, ‘What does this mean?’ And I don’t know!”

The Batman has no official plot synopsis, but Pattinson will share the screen with actress Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle, a.k.a. Catwoman (coincidentally, Kravitz is the stepdaughter of Aquaman star Jason Momoa). It seems increasingly likely that this version of Batman will not share continuity with the DCEU, which gives producers quite a bit of freedom to cast the extensive rogues gallery said to be present in the film. While big names from Jonah Hill to Seth Rogen have come and gone as possible villains (such as the Penguin and the Riddler), other co-stars and specific characters are as yet undecided.

Next: How Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker Could Meet Robert Pattinson’s Batman

Source: The New York Times

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