Robert Pattinson reveals he wanted to play the Caped Crusader long before he was cast in The Batman. Initially set to be directed by and starring Ben Affleck, the Warner Bros. and DC project has gone through several iterations until Matt Reeves’ signed on as director and chose Pattinson as the next Bruce Wayne. But while the road to finding the next iteration of the iconic superhero was a tumultuous one, the 33-year-old actor shares that he’s had his eyes set on the role for a long time.

Pattinson played Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, but it was his role in the Twilight film series as Edward Cullen that catapulted him in the mainstream popularity. While the movies were box office hits, they were critical bombs. Fortunately, the actor bounced back with a string of smaller, but highly praised projects such as Good Time and The Lost City of Z, proving his acting range and prowess. As he went through this process, Pattinson always hoped he would wind up putting on the cape and cowl - something that will finally come to fruition thanks to The Batman.

In an interview with Variety for his latest project The Lighthouse, Pattinson opens up for the first time about being cast as the next Caped Crusader in The Batman. Looking back, the actor revealed he wanted to nab the role longer than everyone knew. He also shared how he simply went for it when he learned that Reeves is directing a new standalone film about the character.

Admittedly, not everyone was thrilled when news broke that Pattinson was up for the high-profile role in The Batman, and up until now, some are still dubious he can pull off the part - mostly because of the impression left by Twilight. However, looking past his Edward Cullen days, the actor has racked up some pretty great performances, giving fans reassurance he’s up to task. In conjunction to that, varying opinions about casting iconic characters such as Batman have always been divisive, something that long-time producer Michael E. Uslan pointed out when he asked people to not prejudge Pattinson’s Batman.

“I’d had Batman in my mind for a while. It’s such an absurd thing to say. I sort of had an idea to do it, and I’d been prodding Matt. He didn’t accept any prods. I kept asking to meet him. And then I had to kind of try to imagine what he’d written, and I hadn’t even read the script. I’d come with this pad full of notes.” As discussions continued, Pattinson arrived in Cannes in May, and all hell broke loose in the press. “It was terrifying,” he says. “I was like, ‘Oh f—! Does that screw me because they are so intent on secrecy?’ I’m literally in Cannes in my hotel room [rehearsing],” Pattinson says. “The whole thing was a lot."

While there’s very little known about The Batman at this point, it’s refreshing to see someone who’s vocal about his love for the character. As great as Affleck was playing the part, the continuous rumors about whether or not he was still attached to the role took a toll on many fans - perhaps even soured some on his iteration of the character. At least now, the public can be assured that Pattinson is more than committed to deliver as the next Caped Crusader in The Batman.

More: Robert Pattinson Will Be A Great Batman (Just Forget Twilight)

Source: Variety

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