The world couldn't stop Googling about Robert Pattinson, ever since the release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Perhaps, after the casting of Rupert Grint as Ronald Weasley, Robert Pattinson had been the second perfect choice as an actor who lived up to the physical needs and necessities which were required to play the pretty-faced, young Hufflepuff, Cedric Diggory. Pattinson existed only in one of the films from the franchise, but he kept his role memorable.
Pattinson has come a long way since then. He became a part of Stephenie Meyer's vampire franchise, but alongside he kept experimenting with himself as an actor. Days before Pattinson was expected to start shooting for his first film with Christopher Nolan, someone had tipped the press about his most ambitious, life-changing project. His role as Batman in the new 2022 film. Surprisingly, the news was not met with enormous bad press.
There were fans worldwide who expressed their support to the actor and believed that he deserved to get a second chance to rework his image. There was also a section of film viewers who desperately started online petitions requesting the studios to remove him as the next face for Batman. Thankfully, the hate was ignored. Fictionally, it has been noted that vampires do turn into bats, so why NOT use this Robert to be the next face of DC Comics.
But the news leak horrified Pattinson.
"When that thing leaked, I was f—ing furious. Everyone was so upset. Everyone was panicking from my team. I sort of thought that had blown up the whole thing," he said during an interview with Variety. Robert who was then busy shooting for his first big project with Christopher Nolan had not even auditioned for Batman and the publicity had horrified him. He feared that ultimately the executive team from Warner Bros would not end up hiring him.
Suddenly, like a self-obsessed superstar, Robert Pattinson had widely started Googling himself. Internet was the only source from where he could confirm if the Warner Bros had released any clarification of not hiring Robert Pattinson as their next big lead to play the caped crusader.
With his roles in Twilight, Remember Me, Water For Elephants, Pattinson had clearly gained fame, but as the boy-next-door, naturally not dark enough to play Batman. Tenet (back then) was just the beginning for him to start his experiment in the dark genres, in a well funded Hollywood project, and even before that could happen, the rumours had started making the rounds.
For the longest time, after being the favourite handsome boy on the internet, Robert Pattinson had drifted away from mass blockbusters and chose to work in independent projects such as David Cronenberg's Maps to the Stars, Cosmopolis, James Gray's The Lost City of Z. He seemed content with his series of work and less ambitious about being the next big A-lister face of Hollywood.
Never chased stardom
When the studios did not produce any counter releases, denying the reports of choosing him as the next Batman, Robert Pattinson seemed less worried. He had then started sitting down with the press to talk about his experiences, a few of which went widely viral. When Tim Burton directed his first Batman movie, the then young Robert Pattinson had bought a costume for himself. It was the only outfit which he had.
Pattinson is one of the few examples from Hollywood, who never chased stardom. Even when he had been at the peak of his career, as the most handsome, young face from Hollywood, he remained conscious about the differences between his job as an actor, and his job as a model, public figure.
