Why Robert Pattinson refused to work out before playing Batman
Robert Pattinson has had an interesting career trajectory. Between his short-lived portrayal of Cedric Diggory in the Harry Potter series and a leading role as the sparkling vampiric love interest in the Twilight franchise, the British actor found early success in the realm of global blockbusters. As those series drew to a close, though, he quickly discovered a love for a new kind of cinema.
After taking his last bow as Edward Cullen in 2012, Pattinson embarked upon a string of roles that would endear him to cinephiles and A24 enthusiasts alike. Between a collaboration with the Safdie brothers on Good Time, a starring role in Robert Eggers’ dread-inducing The Lighthouse, and Claire Denis’ intense venture into the sci-fi realm, High Life.
With each new strange, surreal project he added to his filmography, Pattinson seemed to win over more and more Letterboxd users and secure his place as an indie movie icon. But before he or his audiences could get comfortable with his new position in that realm, he returned to the world of huge blockbuster adaptations, linking up with Matt Reeves for a new take on Batman.
Starring alongside Zoë Kravitz’s Catwoman and Paul Dano’s Riddler, Pattinson embodied the black-suited billionaire in the Nirvana-soundtracked superhero flick. Like Christopher Nolan’s adaptation before him, Reeves’ gritty yet fresh take on Bruce Wayne won him the admiration of crowds and critics alike. After years of the superhero genre recycling and reusing the same plots and clichés, The Batman felt like a breath of fresh air.
Pattinson had the same effect on the character himself. He afforded the character a new darkness and a new depth, focused on feeling rather than physicality, that would win him a place amongst the best Batmans of all time. This focus extended to his preparation for the role, which intentionally included little to no exercise. “Literally, I’m just barely doing anything,” the former Twilight star told GQ at the time.
This wasn’t for a lack of trying from those around him on set. A trainer had been hired for the lead actor, and his co-star Kravitz was working out for the majority of each week, so why was Pattinson so against doing so? The superhero genre, and Hollywood in general, brings with it a pressure to work out and be in perfect shape, one that Pattinson was seemingly trying to fight against.
“I think if you’re working out all the time, you’re part of the problem,” he commented, “You set a precedent. No one was doing this in the ‘70s. Even James Dean – he wasn’t exactly ripped.” It seems that Pattinson was not only setting out to reinvent Batman and Bruce Wayne, but to reinvent the idea of the leading man itself.
This is a refreshing take amidst the industry’s incessant focus on aesthetics and appearances. Pattinson was able to embody the character of Wayne without putting himself through an excessive training routine and bending to the pressures to change his body for a role.
Despite having no interest in working out for the role and refusing to become part of the problem, Pattinson delivered one of the most memorable portrayals of Wayne in movie history. The Batman remains an iconic new entry into the superhero genre, and Pattinson remains one of the most iconic movie stars in contemporary cinema.