Check out this great video from GQ of Robert Pattinson talking about playing Batman/Bruce Wayne in THE BATMAN (as well as other characters he’s portrayed in other films). THE BATMAN talk starts at the 5:16 mark…
Here are a few excerpts from the new feature article on RP in GQ…
On how THE BATMAN is different from previous Batman films…
I watched a rough cut of the movie by myself. And the first shot is so jarring from any other Batman movie that it’s just kind of a totally different pace. It was what Matt was saying from the first meeting I had with him: ‘I want to do a ’70s noir detective story, like The Conversation.’ And I kind of assumed that meant the mood board or something, the look of it. But from the first shot, it’s, Oh, this actually is a detective story.
On THE BATMAN‘s take on Bruce Wayne and Batman…
[Bruce Wayne is] kind of a weirdo as Bruce and a weirdo as Batman, and I kept thinking there’s a more nihilistic slant to it. Because, normally, in all the other movies, Bruce goes away, trains, and returns to Gotham believing in himself, thinking, I’m going to change things here. But in this, it’s sort of implied that he’s had a bit of a breakdown.
All the other stories say the death of his parents is why Bruce becomes Batman, but I was trying to break that down in what I thought was a real way, instead of trying to rationalize it. He’s created this intricate construction for years and years and years, which has culminated in this Batman persona. But it’s not like a healthy thing that he’s done. Almost like a drug addiction.
There’s a moment when Alfred asks Bruce what his family would think of him tarnishing the family legacy with his new side hustle. And Bruce says: ‘This is my family legacy. If I don’t do this, then there’s nothing else for me.’ I always read that as not like, ‘There’s nothing else,’ like, ‘I don’t have a purpose.’ But like: ‘I’m checking out.’ And I think that makes it a lot sadder. Like, it’s a sad movie. It’s kind of about him trying to find some element of hope, in himself, and not just the city. Normally, Bruce never questions his own ability; he questions the city’s ability to change. But I mean, it’s kind of such an insane thing to do: The only way I can live is to dress up as a bat.
On how the people of Gotham feel about The Batman…
The people of Gotham think that he’s just another symptom of how shit everything is. There’s this scene where he’s beating everyone up on this train platform, and I just love that there’s a bit in the script where the guy he’s saving is also just like: ‘Ahh! It’s worse! You’re either being mugged by some gang members, or a monster comes and, like, fucking beats everybody up!’ The guy has no idea that Batman’s come to save him. It just looks like this werewolf.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: This dude gets Batman AND Bruce Wayne. I’m very happy he’s the new and current Batman on film. – Bill “Jett” Ramey
(Thanks to “Orion” and BOF Senior Contributor Ryan Lower for the heads up!)