Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy is considered the gold standard for superhero films in general and Batman movies in particular. The filmmaker has made his new project Tenet with Robert Pattinson, the latest actor to don the cowl of the caped crusader in Matt Reeves’ upcoming The Batman. During an interview with Singapore’s CNA network, Nolan revealed his feelings regarding Battinson.
“He certainly did not ask me for any advice. We kept a respectful silence around the issue ’til very near the end of the shoot. We said a couple of things and made a couple of jokes. We did have a little bit of a conversation about the various aspects of what he was going to be putting himself through. But I was thrilled that he was cast. I think that he’ll do an amazing job and I’m really excited to see what he does with that character.”
While no one filmmaker can stake a claim to the legacy of Batman, Nolan’s reinvention of the Dark Knight mythos had an undeniably massive impact on the way the character has been viewed since Batman Begins, so fans are naturally keen to know if he had any words of wisdom for Pattinson before the actor takes up the iconic role.
It seems Nolan trusts Robert Pattinson to be able to navigate his own path into the mind of Bruce Wayne/Batman without any help from him. For his part, Pattinson recalls the time on the sets of Tenet when he tried to audition for The Batman discreetly but was immediately found out by Nolan:
“It’s funny because Chris is so secretive about everything to do with his movies. And then I had to be really secretive about Batman stuff. So I had to lie to Chris about having to go for a screen test – I said I had a family emergency. And as soon as I said ‘it’s a family emergency’ he said: ‘You’re doing the Batman addition, aren’t you?'”
It makes sense that Nolan would be aware of any developments on a new Batman project, and the actors being considered for the main role. But the filmmaker is intent on keeping his professional distance from the project, and allowing Pattinson to make his own way into the comic book movie franchise.
The Batman is directed by Matt Reeves and co-written by Reeves and Mattson Tomlin. The film features a lead cast of Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/ Batman, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, Zo&ë Kravitz as Selina Kyle/ Catwoman, Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot/ The Penguin, Paul Dano as Edward Nashton/ The Riddler, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone and Peter Sarsgaard as District Attorney Gil Colson.
The film is a grounded new take on the Dark Knight’s history, showing the second year of Batman’s journey as a crime fighter, when he is still trying to find his way, and figure out how to be an effective hero while dealing with the machinations of the Riddler and the trauma of his own past. The Batman is set to be released in theaters on October 1, 2021.