Robert Pattinson Had a ‘Major Panic Attack’ During His Audition With Zoë Kravitz for ‘The Batman’
Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz are about to be the next power duo of the DC universe. The actors star in The Batman, coming soon to theaters worldwide. And while on the press tour for the upcoming movie, Pattinson and Kravitz discussed their audition process.
Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz play Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle in ‘The Batman’
The Batman stars Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Selina Kyle/Catwoman. As many fans know, Bruce and Selina have a tumultuous history in the comic books. They are often depicted as love interests, but they frequently fight on opposite sides.
Bruce and Selina will meet for the first time in The Batman while she searches for her missing roommate, and Bruce is in his second year of vigilantism.
The Batman‘s synopsis reads, “Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman, striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City. When a killer targets Gotham’s elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World’s Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle, Oswald Cobblepot, Carmine Falcone, and the Riddler.”
While Bruce and Selina will have conflicting morals in The Batman, it’s clear that there will be plenty of romantic tension between them. Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz’s chemistry will ensure that.
Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz discuss their auditions
During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz described their audition process for The Batman. Pattinson had already landed the role when they brought Kravitz in for a chemistry test.
“The chemistry read was really intense,” Kravitz revealed. “Rob was wearing the Batsuit, and it was a proper camera test with the [Director of Photography] there and everything on a soundstage. It wasn’t just reading lines in a room. So it was intimidating, to say the least.”
The first thing Kravitz had to do was take off a motorcycle helmet. She said, “That totally spun me into a little bit of anxiety. It’s wildly complicated to take off a helmet and look cool, not have it get stuck on your head, or your hair look funny. I was convinced that was going to be my downfall.”
Pattinson added, “The first time I’d even said lines from the script was in Zoë’s screen test. They had this idea that they wanted me to be taller at the beginning, so I basically had high-heeled sneakers on, and I’m tottering around in this strange Batman outfit. The camera’s not even on me, it’s on the back of my head, and I’m literally having this major panic attack, just looking for emotional support from Zoë, who’s trying to get the part.”
The actors immediately formed a connection during their audition
Matt Reeves, the director of The Batman, told Entertainment Weekly, “[Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz] really connected [during their audition]. Everyone could see there was something really special between them.”
Reeves was determined to find the right actors to fill the roles of Batman and Catwoman because their love story “is absolutely central” to the movie.
“They have quite a strong connection pretty quickly, and I think they’re both trying to ignore that,” Kravtiz said of Bruce and Selina’s characters in The Batman. “They’re both very surprised by feeling a connection with somebody because that’s quite rare for them. It puts both of us out of our comfort zone.”
Pattinson added, “Bruce created Batman in this very binary worldview where he [believes] there are bad guys and there are victims. Selina comes along, and he’s like, ‘Well, you’re a thief. You’re basically the same as the Penguin,’ and yet … there’s something in her I recognize. It’s going up against his snap judgment.”
The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz, premieres exclusively in theaters on March 4.
