THE BATMAN Star Robert Pattinson Wanted To Play Bruce Wayne Because "He's A Freak"; First Clip Released In 4K

Since finding fame in huge franchises like Harry Potter and Twilight, Robert Pattinson has moved on to completely different roles that have all been critically acclaimed, but far from "commercially friendly." That alone made him something of an unexpected choice for the part of Bruce Wayne in The Batman, though it's clear he's got the talent to do the Caped Crusader justice on screen.

What appealed to Pattinson about the role? Well, the fact that Batman isn't that different to some of the weirder characters he's played since his memorable stint as Edward Cullen. "I just kept obsessively checking up on it for the next year or so," he says of the role. "Even my agents were like, 'Oh, interesting. I thought you only wanted to play total freaks?' And I was like, 'He is a freak!'"

"I’ve always loved the character," the actor continued. "He’s got this enormous trauma inside him, and he’s built this intricate, psychological mechanism to handle it. It’s like a really, really, really bad self-therapy, which has ended up with him being Batman at the end, as self-help [Laughs]."

In related news, The Batman director Matt Reeves has shared the first clip from the movie in 4K. This previously found its way online in fairly poor quality, so this lengthy sneak peek in HD is definitely welcomed. While the focus here is on Bruce rather than Batman, we get a better idea of the approach the filmmaker is taking with his grounded, gritty take on Gotham City. 

The Batman is set to be released in theaters on March 4.