‘The Batman’: Why Robert Pattinson Snuck a Selfie Into His Audition

The Batman isn’t just the re-introduction of the iconic DC Comics hero. It marks Robert Pattinson’s debut in the role. The actor is only the latest in a long line of stars to wear the cape and cowl. And so far, critics are loving The Batman. Stiil, it seems the legacy of the character wasn’t lost on Pattinson. During his screen test for writer-director Matt Reeves (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), the actor snuck in a selfie for a very specific reason.

Robert Pattinson just went from ‘Twilight’ to ‘The Batman’

Batman fans are so protective of the Dark Knight that they tend to view just about every actor who steps into the role with skepticism. Back in the late 1980s, fans balked at the idea of Mr. Mom star Michael Keaton at the forefront of Tim Burton’s Batman. And Ben Affleck faced a similar backlash before developing a devout group of fans for his version of the Caped Crusader. So the divisive reaction when news of Pattinson’s casting broke was no surprise.

To be fair, the actor is still best known for his portrayal of Edward Cullen in the Twilight franchise. The epic box office success of those movies remains his biggest commercial achievement. But Pattinson has spent the decade since The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2 on a variety of risky, challenging roles. These include The Rover, The Lost City of Z, Good Time, and The Lighthouse. He also played a key role in Christopher Nolan’s Tenet.

The actor took extreme measures to remember his audition

Even though Pattinson had put in the work proving he could do a lot more than Twilight, the actor must have still been a bit worried he might not land The Batman. During the audition process, Pattinson tried on some of the Batsuits worn by actors like Val Kilmer and George Clooney. And as he recently revealed, the actor snuck in a selfie just in case Reeves ultimately chose not to cast him.

“I remember when I was doing the screen test because it was really fun and it was really, really long,” Pattinson told ComicBook.com. “I literally did a screen test in [the suit] for about eight hours, and the entire time was just pouring sweat so much… I remember sneaking a little selfie in it when everyone left the room thinking, ‘If this doesn’t work out… I’ll always have this.”

Robert Pattinson is signed on for 2 sequels to ‘The Batman’

As it turns out, Pattinson didn’t need to take such precautionary measures. Reeves and his co-stars in The Batman reportedly loved the actor’s performance as Bruce Wayne and his masked alter-ego. With The Batman‘s release, Pattinson leads one of 2022’s biggest movies. And according to Deadline, he signed on for two sequels.

Although there is nothing official on what The Batman sequel could entail, Reeves has already confirmed his interest in Mr. Freeze to Collider. If he goes that route, it will be the character’s first big-screen appearance since Arnold Schwarzenegger’s pun-heavy turn in 1997’s Batman & Robin. Stay tuned for updates as the sequel moves forward.

The Batman hits theaters on March 4, 2022.