The Batman’s Robert Pattinson on first trying on the Batsuit, ‘calming down’ after Twilight and finding a romantic soulmate
The former Twilight heartthrob talks openly about following Ben Affleck, George Clooney and Christian Bale as the new Batman, how Hollywood changed him, looking for love and what the future holds
From portraying a most iconic vampire in the Twilight films to playing the new Batman, Robert Pattinson, who turns 34 on May 13, shares his views in an interview with STYLE about movie roles, fame and taking risks. Batman is not a heroic character to him
“Batman is a complicated character. I don’t think I could ever play a real hero – there’s always something a bit wrong. I think it’s because one of my eyes is smaller than the other … I have no interest in playing someone who’s heroic.
“I’ve always found Batman interesting. He’s struggling a bit, especially in some [versions] of the story. He doesn’t know if he’s that great or not. That’s kind of interesting, walking the line.”
He was eager to take on The Batman, even though he has avoided studio movies since his Twilight days
“I felt a connection to it, I don’t know why. I just really wanted it. The role has a ‘power’ which is why everyone is attracted to it. It’s an unidentifiable thing … I remember watching the Tim Burton Batman movies as a kid … I was obsessed with them.
“There was something that appealed to me. Batman movies have always attracted really good directors, and really good actors, and it’s got a legacy and lineage to it. It’s never been something that seemed like just a cash-in.”
It was an awkward experience trying on the Batsuit for the first time
“You do feel powerful immediately. And it’s pretty astonishing, something that is incredibly difficult to get into, so the ritual of getting into it is pretty humiliating. You’ve got five people trying to shove you into something. Once you’ve got it on, it’s like: ‘Yeah, I feel strong, I feel tough, even though I had to have someone squeezing my butt cheeks into the legs’.
“You’re trying to think of the way to balance, how to bring something new to it and not scare people off. And [you have to] work in the confines of the costume.”