It's probably fair to say that the trailers for The Batman have done wonders for star Robert Pattinson being embraced as the new Dark Knight, but it was a very different story back when his casting was first announced.
Though some were willing to give Pattinson a chance, others wondered how the sparky vampire from Twilight could ever portray a convincing Caped Crusader, and the resulting backlash on social media did not go unnoticed by director Matt Reeves.
During an interview with Esquire, the filmmaker was asked about the fan-reaction to Pattinson landing the role, and rightly pointed out that no previous Batman actor has managed to evade the ire of surly fanboys.
“There has been no actor, when his announcement that he was going to be playing Batman in one of the feature films was announced, that has not received a backlash,” the Let Me In director says. “The people who were excited, I knew it was because they knew Rob’s work post-Twilight. The people who weren’t excited, I knew it was because they didn’t know Rob’s work post-Twilight.”
Reeves makes a valid point, as Pattinson's post-Twilight projects have established his range and versatility. The director adds that the actor's performance in 2017's Good Time convinced him that he was ideal for the part.
"In the process of writing the movie, I watched Good Time, and I thought, ‘Okay, he’s got an inner kind of rage that connects with this character and a dangerousness, and I can feel this desperation.’ And I became dead-set on it being Rob. And I had no idea if Rob had any interest! Because, of course, he had done all of these indie movies after he established himself in Twilight.”
He needn't have worried, because Pattinson was a massive Batman fans and jumped at the chance to reimagine the character.
The Batman is set to hit theaters on March 4. You can check out the latest TV spot below.