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Based on how often it happens, any lead actor that signs on to headline a comic book blockbuster presumably has a shirtless scene written into their contracts as an obligation, with Robert Pattinson the latest to generate buzz for his physique when the most recent full-length trailer for The Batman was revealed.
It was quite the turnaround, when we’d heard plenty of salacious scuttlebutt claiming the actor hadn’t made any effort whatsoever to get into shape for playing the costumed crimefighter, which he did admittedly lean into a little himself when he said in a 2020 interview that he couldn’t be bothered.
Of course, the evidence is clear that Pattinson had indeed been hitting the gym with a vengeance, and the internet was swooning over the requisite glimpse of his chiselled Bruce Wayne. Even if not for solely aesthetic purposes, getting into shape is a key part of preparing for any action-intensive role, otherwise you’ll crash and burn after the first take.
In an interview with MovieMaker, the 35 year-old confirmed that his words did in fact come back to haunt him.
“That really came back to haunt me. I just always think it’s really embarrassing to talk about how you’re working out. I think it’s like an English thing. Unless you are in the most unbelievable shape, where people are just genuinely curious, going, ‘How have you achieved, like, physical perfection?’ or whatever. You’re playing Batman. You have to work out. I think I was doing the interview when I was in lockdown, as well, in England. … I was in a lower gear of working out. It’s the same thing as saying in an interview when I was like 21 that I didn’t wash my hair. It just sticks for 15 years.”
We’re only six weeks away from The Batman coming to theaters at long last, but based on how much buzz has been generated by the various trailers, teasers, TV spots, posters, and production stills we’ve seen lately, Pattinson’s abs and biceps aren’t even going to be one of the major talking points coming out of the movie.