Robert Pattinson Explains Why He Took On Role of Batman In The Batman, Jokes About Not Knowing What Tenet Is About

In an interview with GQ Magazine, Robert Pattinson discussed playing Batman in the upcoming Matt Reeves-directed The Batman, revealing why he decided to take the role and how so many other stars playing the role in the past makes it more interesting to him. He also joked that he had no clue what Tenet is about, even though he is one of the film’s stars, to which Christopher Nolan jumped in and said Pattinson has a very good grasp on the script.

On why he decided to take on the role of Batman: “I think sometimes the downsides—which I’ve definitely thought about—the downsides kind of seem like upsides. I kind of like the fact that not only are there very, very, very well-done versions of the character which seem pretty definitive, but I was thinking that there are multiple definitive playings of the character. I was watching the making of Batman & Robin the other day. And even then, George Clooney was saying that he was worried about the fact that it’s sort of been done, that a lot of the ground you should cover with the character has been already covered. And that’s in ’96, ’97?”

“And then there’s Christian Bale, and Ben Affleck’s one. And then I was thinking, it’s fun when more and more ground has been covered. Like, where is the gap? You’ve seen this sort of lighter version, you’ve seen a kind of jaded version, a kind of more animalistic version. And the puzzle of it becomes quite satisfying, to think: Where’s my opening? And also, do I have anything inside me which would work if I could do it? And then also, it’s a legacy part, right? I like that. There’s so few things in life where people passionately care about it before it’s even happened. You can almost feel that pushback of anticipation, and so it kind of energizes you a little bit. It’s different from when you’re doing a part and there’s a possibility that no one will even see it. Right? In some ways it’s, I don’t know… It makes you a little kind of spicy.”

On if he can explain what Tenet is about: “Even if I had seen it, I genuinely don’t know if I’d be able to… I was just thinking, I just called up my assistant 20 minutes ago: ‘What the f*ck do I say? I have no idea.’”

Director Christopher Nolan said that Pattinson had a very good grasp on the Tenet script though, stating that him saying he didn’t know what it was about was just him messing with the interviewer.

“Rob’s read on the script was extremely acute. But he also understood the ambiguities of the film and the possibilities that spin off in the mind around the story. And so both things are true. Yes, he’s f*cking with you, because he had a complete grasp of the script. But a complete grasp of the script, in the case of Tenet, is one that understands and acknowledges the need for this film to live on in the audience’s mind, and suggest possibilities in the audience’s mind. And he was very much a partner in crime with that.”

The Batman opens on October 1st, 2021 while Tenet opens on July 17th of this year.