When casting leaked for Matt Reeves’ The Batman, Robert Pattinson got so furious. The 33-year-old actor is taking on the iconic cowl and cape following Ben Affleck’s exit from the Batman role. Fans will see him on the big screen in 2021 when the planned standalone flick hits theaters. But before production even begins, Pattinson is opening up about the process of landing the gig, starting with how news broke out a few months ago when it wasn’t supposed to.

After several months of waiting, Affleck’s departure from the DCEU was confirmed earlier this year. The veteran actor/director was supposed to helm and star in The Batman standalone, but shortly after he debuted the character in Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, rumors started swirling that he wanted out of the role. He first dropped out of directing the project, paving the way for Reeves to board the project. The lack of updates in the weeks that came fueled rumors that the film is going on a different direction which came to fruition with news that Affleck is out and Pattinson is in as Batman. However, if it was to Pattinson, he would’ve wanted his casting announcement go an entirely different route.

Speaking with Variety for his latest project, The Lighthouse, Pattinson also opened up about his tumultuous journey to landing the title role for The Batman. The actor specifically recalled how the news came out prematurely back in when he hadn’t even auditioned for the role. “When that thing leaked, I was f—ing furious Everyone was so upset. Everyone was panicking from my team. I sort of thought that had blown up the whole thing,” he said. Apparently, they were afraid that the initial backlash from learning that his name is in the pool of candidates would spook Warner Bros. away from casting him, and he really wanted the role.

Word was that it came down to Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult for The Batman gig. Shortly after reports came out that both were screen testing, it was confirmed the job ultimately went to Pattinson. By that point, people had acclimated to the idea he might be the next iteration of Bruce Wayne. So while there were (and, arguably, still are) skeptics, a large chunk of the fan community has been able to check out his impressive portfolio past the box office hit Twilight series, with films such as Good Time and The Lost City of Z.

Plot specifics for The Batman are being tightly kept under wraps so it’s still early to gauge how the project will pan out. That said, it’s great to know that Pattinson is invested in the film considering how frustrated he was that the casting leak may have ruined his chances of landing the part. Then again, the fact that the news came out prematurely weirdly helped how people perceive him as the next Caped Crusader as it gave them time to check out his other work outside of the Twilight franchise. This way, when it was made official, there were more in favor of his casting in The Batman than those opposed to it.

More: DC Is Finally Catching Up To Marvel (By Not Copying The MCU)

Source: Variety

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