Robert Pattinson was already in director and writer Matt Reeves' mind when he began putting together The Batman. That doesn't mean that the one-time Twilight star was handed the role, however. A new deep dive into the casting reveals that Pattinson had to win the role in a competition between himself and one other actor.
Pattinson was considered early on due to the type of story Reeves wants to tell. This story is going to be a bit closer to Year One than other iterations of the Bat, meaning we won't have to see bloody opera clothes but we will have to see a young Bruce Wayne figuring out his role as a vigilante.
Via THR:
"He is written as around 30 years old, and the story is neither another re-hashing of his origin nor the tale of a seasoned crimefighter ruling Gotham City. He is Bruce Wayne still trying to find his footing on his way to becoming the genius detective."
That age range immediately ended any shot that Ben Affleck had of reprising the role. Reeves narrowed his choice for the lead down to two names: Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult. Sources close to the production said Reeves was drawn to Pattinson's recent performances in indie movies like Good Time and High Life. Hoult is no lightweight either, having starred in The Favourite and several X-Men movies.
Pattinson won the role by donning a left over batsuit from a previous production and auditioning. Reeves and studio reps reportedly discussed the two tests for several days before ultimately deciding that Pattinson was their man.
