Christian Bale Endorses Robert Pattinson’s Batman, Shares His Best Batsuit Advice
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Christian Bale broke his silence on Robert Pattinson’s Batman casting while attending the Toronto International Film Festival to screen his buzzy race car drama “Ford v Ferrari.” Speaking to Variety, the Oscar winner had a brief but enthusiastic response when asked to weigh in on Pattinson taking over the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman on the big screen. “Good choice!” Bale said. “He’s interesting.”
Bale’s “Ford v Ferrari” co-star Matt Damon also showed Pattinson some support. “Did you see the Safdie brothers movie he did? He was fantastic,” Damon said, referring to the 2017 crime thriller “Good Time.”
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Pattinson, also attending TIFF 2019 with his acclaimed psychological drama “The Lighthouse,” was officially cast as Batman at the end of May. The actor is set to lead Matt Reeves’ 2021 comic book tentpole “The Batman,” plot details for which remain under wraps. Bale played the Caped Crusader in three hugely successful films directed by Christopher Nolan: “Batman Begins, “The Dark Knight,” and “The Dark Knight Rises.” Ben Affleck took over the role for Zack Snyder’s “Batman v Superman” and “Justice League,” and Bale has the same advice for Pattinson as he did for Affleck.
“Just be able to pee by yourself,” Bale answered when asked what Pattinson needs to know to play the role. “You don’t feel like a superhero when you aren’t able to piss by yourself.”
Bale wasn’t the only actor singing Pattinson’s praises at the Toronto International Film Festival. Variety also caught up with Kristen Stewart, Pattinson’s former “Twilight” co-star who was at the festival with her new film “Seberg.” When asked about Pattinson’s Batman casting, Stewart responded, “Oh man, I feel like he’s the only guy that could play that part. I am so happy for him. It’s crazy.”
Stewart and Bale’s endorsements for Pattinson arrive after there was some backlash to his casting. Some Batman fans doubted Pattinson’s capability to play the role, but the actor himself has taken the negative reactions to his casting with ease. “To be honest, it was less vitriolic than I was expecting,” Pattinson recently said. “It’s much more fun when you’re an underdog. There’s no expectation of you.”
The Pattinson-starring “The Batman” will open in theaters June 25, 2021 from Warner Bros.
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