The world is gearing up to see Robert Pattinson take on the role of the Caped Crusader in The Batman, and in a recent profile, the actor has given insight into how he believes Bruce Wayne is ‘addicted’ to his double life.
In a recent GQ interview, Pattinson gave us a deep look into how he approached the role, and how his take on the lore of Bruce Wayne might differ from what we’ve seen in previous film adaptations.
“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,” Pattinson shared.
“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.”
While childhood trauma can cause issues like those shown in other adaptions of Batman, a new take might just help set his performance in The Batman apart from that of Ben Affleck’s, Christian Bale’s, Michael Keaton’s, and beyond.
If the new film delves into Wayne’s “addiction” and by extension his general mental health, Pattinson is the right man to help tell that story, having long been an advocate for therapy himself. He told The Daily Telegraph that his parents were horrified when they found out he was seeing a therapist.
“I was like, ‘Why is that a bad thing?’” he replied.
“There’s just this weird stigma. It’s so strange… But I think it’s a sort of throwback attitude.”
Catch The Batman when it hits theaters on March 4, 2022.