Twilight fans have always been passionate about the books and films, and while they are now very supportive of Robert Pattinson and his career, their initial reaction to him being cast as Edward Cullen wasn’t good. Back in 2005, readers were introduced to a world where vampires, humans, and werewolves coexist in Stephenie Meyer’s novel Twilight. The core of the story was the relationship between vampire Edward Cullen and mortal Bella Swan, which turned out to be problematic and controversial. Twilight was generally well received, and thanks to the following novels, it built a solid and loyal fanbase.
As it happens with many other book series, Twilight made the jump to the big screen not long after. The Twilight Saga was released between 2008 and 2012, with the fourth and final novel, Breaking Dawn, being split into two films. The Twilight fanbase only got bigger when the films came out, but fans weren’t always supportive. When it was time to cast Edward Cullen, fans didn’t react favorably to Robert Pattinson landing the role.
Looking back now after the success of the Twilight Saga and what it did to the careers of its protagonists, it’s hard to believe fans weren’t always on board with the decisions taken during the pre-production process of the first film, but that’s what happened when looking for the right Edward Cullen.
Why Twilight Fans Initially Didn’t Like Robert Pattinson As Edward Cullen
It’s not uncommon for fans to be protective of their favorite characters, and that was the case with Twilight fans. Before the casting process began, Meyer shared that her perfect Edward Cullen was Henry Cavill, but he was never approached by her nor the producers. Robert Pattinson was among the finalists for the role and was selected after an audition at director Catherine Hardwicke’s home with Kristen Stewart in order to test their chemistry. However, fans weren’t happy to learn that their Edward Cullen was going to be played by Pattinson.
Speaking to Premiere back in 2008, Pattinson mentioned fans hated him when he was announced as Edward Cullen, to which his co-star Rachelle Lefèvre (Victoria) offered a good explanation: every reader had their own image of Edward Cullen in their minds, and they had to let go of it before they opened their minds to Pattinson being the one. Still, it wasn’t an easy process for him, as he received a lot of hate mail and many fansites started petitions to have “anyone else” play Edward.
That hasn’t been Pattinson’s only encounter with fans’ disapproval, as the same happened when he was cast as the new Batman. Though it’s understandable how each fan has an idea of what a character looks like, there’s no reason to be rude to the actors chosen to play them, as they’re only doing their job – and they all deserve the benefit of the doubt. Luckily for Pattinson, it all turned out well in the world of Twilight, and fans eventually changed their minds.