The Batman actor Robert Pattinson admits that he was terrified to see the final cut of the much-anticipated film. The Batman will display the latest iteration of the Caped Crusader and will also mark the first live-action version of the character to be seen outside the DCEU since Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises in 2012. The film will follow Batman in his second year of crime-fighting, as he attempts to hunt down The Riddler (played by Paul Dano).
The Batman is a film that has been in the works for a very long time, with development going back as far as 2013. Originally the film was meant to center on Ben Affleck's Batman from the DCEU. Affleck was even signed on to helm the project himself. However, after having doubts about the film, he dropped out of the project. Director Matt Reeves took his place and removed all DCEU connections. Pattinson was cast in the titular role in 2019 and production began in 2020, only to be halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Production was able to resume in September of 2020; however, it was halted again three days later when Pattinson himself tested positive for COVID. Now, nine years after the film was first conceived, The Batman is ready to burst into theatres.
In a recent interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Pattinson has admitted that he was "absolutely terrified" to see the final cut of The Batman. According to Pattinson, he hasn't "been this scared to release a movie in such a long time." With that said, Pattinson did admit that he had already seen the first 90 minutes of The Batman and was confident in what he saw. However, Pattinson stated that he needs to be in the right frame of mind to watch one of his own movies, so he looked for the reactions of the people around him. See his full quote below:
"I was absolutely terrified. I haven't been this scared to release a movie in such a long time. I haven't even released a movie in a really long time! I mean, I'd seen the first 90 minutes by myself in an IMAX before and I knew that the first 90 minutes was great. But I've kind of gotten into this habit where I kind of realized I need to be in the perfect balance of serotonin to watch my own stuff and, like, so I need to kind of...I need to work out for two hours beforehand, I need to have an enormous amount of sugar and caffeine and so, like, whatever I'm watching, I'm like, 'yes!'"
Pattinson went on to state that it was his girlfriend Suki Waterhouse's reaction that mattered to him the most. According to Pattinson, Waterhouse is not a particular fan of superhero movies, but despite this, The Batman was able to move her to tears. This certainly bodes well for the upcoming film if the story's emotional power can impact superhero fans and non-fans alike. It seems likely that The Batman will be a film to remember in the larger Batman universe.
With the amount of time it has taken to get The Batman to the big screen, it's no wonder that Pattinson would be terrified to watch the final cut. Fans have had years to build up expectations in their mind about the film, and ultimately, Pattison has to sit back and hope he meets them. The role of Batman is one that is highly scrutinized by fans every time it is recast. However, if the trailers and Waterhouse's reaction are anything to go by, it seems The Batman promises to be a film that will delight fans when it opens in theatres on March 4.
Source: Jimmy Kimmel Live
