Batman's voice in film has become an iconic choice, and with Robert Pattinson debuting in the role in The Batman, here's a look at Robert Pattinson's Batman voice, and how it compares to prior versions. One of the most famous characters to ever emerge from the world of comic books, Batman needs no introduction for most. He's starred in nearly a dozen live-action feature films, headlined multiple TV shows, been a frequent focus for the world of animation, fronted countless video games, and done just about everything there is for a pop culture icon to do.
Yet, despite existing for so many decades, Batman never seems to really lose his mass appeal, having been successfully reinvented many times both on the page and on the screen. In live-action adaptations, it's usually the standard Bruce Wayne/Batman combo that appears, although quite a few characters have donned the cape and cowl within DC comics, as well as for animated DC projects. That's the case again for The Batman, which centers on Pattinson's Bruce Wayne, and his masked alter ego.
Pattinson's casting as Batman initially worried some, as it seemed a far cry from his previous roles. However, once The Batman released, his portrayal of the character drew plenty of praise. Here's how Robert Pattinson's Batman voice stacks up to past movie actors.
Why Robert Pattinson Had To Change His Batman Voice
Before Pattinson settled on the Batman voice he uses in The Batman movie, the actor revealed during an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live that he actually tried to go a completely different way, which ended up failing miserably. Pattinson wanted to do the opposite of the usual gruff Batman voice, and instead kept his voice to a near-whisper for the first couple weeks of filming. Eventually, co-writer and director Matt Reeves told Pattinson this wasn't working, and that a change was needed.
How Robert Pattinson’s Batman Voice Compares To Past Versions
When playing Bruce Wayne in The Batman, Pattinson seems to be using his normal speaking voice, albeit a bit slower and more measured, fitting his generally depressed-seeming Bruce. As far as past actors go, Pattinson's Batman voice sounds a bit similar to Christian Bale's, but not nearly as throaty and gravelly, which should please those who found Bale's exaggerated voice grating. Pattinson is definitely adding a little extra rasp and heft to his Batman though when compared to him speaking as Bruce Wayne. Adam West, Val Kilmer, and George Clooney didn't really do much to separate their Batman and Bruce Wayne voices, especially Clooney, who sounded basically identical. West did notably alter his cadence and pitch a bit when inside the Batman costume.
On the other hand, Michael Keaton made his Batman sound noticeably more erratic and unstable than Bruce, with his famous "I'm Batman" delivery coming off as a bit nuts. Like Keaton, Pattinson seems to have made to point to make his Bruce Wayne and Batman voices sound noticeably different, which for all the complaints, Bale definitely did as well. It works for the character, as Batman obviously doesn't want people to hear him speak and recognize his voice of that of the public billionaire Bruce Wayne. Ben Affleck had help in that department, using digital voice alterations to make Batman sound deeper and more menacing. Clearly, Pattinson didn't go that route in The Batman, which fits director Matt Reeves' approach to the film as a more grounded detective story.
