‘The Batman’: Robert Pattinson “shocked” he wasn’t mocked more about casting
He joked that his casting was only "70 per cent negative"
Robert Pattinson has said that he was “shocked” he didn’t get even more flak for his casting in Matt Reeves’ new film ‘The Batman’.
The actor, who portrays the caped crusader in ‘The Batman‘ (released today, March 4), said in a new interview that although he knew that fans had launched a petition lobbying DC to reconsider his casting, he was still surprised at the level of upset.
He told The Los Angeles Times that he took the initial backlash in his stride. “I was actually mocked less than I usually am,” he said. “I was quite shocked. ‘Only 70 per cent negative? A-plus!’”
Pattinson‘s comments come in the context of his more recent, quirky arthouse roles such as in ‘Good Time’ and ‘The Lighthouse’, which were seen as bolder steps away from his early blockbuster career in the Twilight and Harry Potter franchises.
Nearly 7,000 people signed the petition that was launched more than three years ago called “Warner Brothers, don’t do it! Don’t cast Robert Pattinson as Batman.”
“Don’t make the Batfleck mistake again. Don’t do it. For the love of all that is holy, stop trashing the DC Universe,” the petition’s description read.
Some critics have praised Pattinson’s depiction of Batman/Bruce Wayne in Reeves’ gritty take on the DC staple, with Rolling Stone writing that “his Batman is definitely a mood”.
“He’s also a more moody, enraged, and volatile iteration of the DC Comics’ heavy hitter than previous incarnations, which — given that your competition includes Christian Bale and Ben Affleck — is no small feat,” wrote reviewer David Fear.
Meanwhile, Reeves has responded to criticism of the blockbuster’s three-hour runtime, saying: “Once you see the movie, I think that ceases to be an issue. It’s immersive, it takes you along and it keeps you engrossed.”
The latest big-screen outing is 176 minutes long. This makes it the third longest superhero film of the modern era, behind ‘Avengers: Endgame’, at 181 minutes, and ‘Zach Snyder’s Justice League’, which ran 242 minutes, although the latter was a director’s cut intended for hardcore fans and not given a wide theatrical release.