When a big studio is casting one of their flagship characters, it’s customary to do some kind of screen test. Even if the actor who’s up for the role is an A-lister, they still have to prove they can look the part, and maybe do some stunt work or fight choreography. For example, Matt Reeves wanted Robert Pattinson to play his young “recluse rockstar” version of Bruce Wayne in The BatmanPattinson is a huge star thanks to his role in the Twilight franchise. But he still needed to do a screen test. This was Batman he was playing, after all.

And so he did. Part of the screen test, Pattinson revealed during The Batman’s portion of DC FanDome, involving putting on the actual Batsuit and shooting a couple scenes. Except the audition came so early in the process that the new Batsuit hadn’t been designed yet. (You can’t design a suit for Batman without knowing who’s gonna play the role after all.) So they needed a Batsuit for Pattinson. So the studio dusted off an old one — Val Kilmer’s from Batman Forever as a matter of fact.

It sounds kind of bonkers — the Kilmer Batsuits weren’t exactly known for the subtlety or grittiness. But apparently, Pattinson did well enough to get the part. As Reeves and Pattinson joked about the experience, they both recalled just how sweaty Pattinson got inside the Kilmer Batsuit. Two inches of thick rubber padding will do that!

Obviously, Pattinson’s Batman will look a lot different in the new movie. More like this...

Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
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Yes, that’s more like it. The Batman is scheduled to open in theaters on March 4, 2022.

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