Robert Pattinson became one of the most prominent actors thanks to his portrayal of Edward Cullen in the $3.34 billion franchise, The Twilight Saga. He has firmly cemented his place on Hollywood’s A-list as a result of his erratic talent and capacity to successfully portray some of the most peculiar roles. But, throughout his career, the Hollywood heartthrob has often passed up lucrative roles.
James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy was reportedly offered to Pattinson, but he declined. The Tenet actor later starred in Matt Reeves’ superhero film, The Batman, despite not being ready to play a superhero at the time. In any case, if he had taken the role in Guardians of the Galaxy, he would have been able to work alongside Robert Downey Jr. in Avengers: Infinity War. Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord did appear alongside Iron Man in Anthony and Joe Russo’s 2018 film.
Why Did Robert Pattinson Choose Batman Over a Possible Role in Avengers: Infinity War?
While portraying Edward Cullen in the Twilight movies, Robert Pattinson shot to fame and became a global sensation. Not to mention that the actor once turned down Marvel’s invitation to join the cast of Guardians of the Galaxy, despite later donning the Caped Crusader costume in The Batman.
The actor once discussed why he decided to play Batman, as playing Bruce Wayne turned out to be his first blockbuster following The Twilight Saga. Pattinson acknowledged that he met with Marvel Studios for an informational meeting around the time of the initial Guardians of the Galaxy film. He gave an explanation to Variety for why he and Marvel could not make things work, saying:
“The idea of trying that transition after ‘Twilight,’ I never saw a road in that direction. It’s [Batman] actually an interesting part. I think it’s because he doesn’t have any superpowers.”
Fascinatingly, he could have joined Robert Downey Jr. in Avengers: Infinity War if he had gone Chris Pratt’s way rather than the other way around. The Passengers star reprised his Star-Lord role after The Guardians of the Galaxy in the 2018 Kevin Feige film.
The Marvel Stars Inspired Robert Pattinson’s Batman?
In an interview with For Men Healthy (via Screen Rant), Robert Pattinson was candid about accepting the chance to don the cape and cowl for The Batman. After playing Edward Cullen in Twilight, the actor, who is known for his unconventional career choices, admitted that he initially had doubts about whether he could live up to the demands of playing the Dark Knight.
However, after citing MCU stars such as Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, and even Dwayne Johnson, he realized that feeling “nervous” when a high-profile role comes was completely normal.
“You look at the true warriors of the superhero genre — Hemsworth, The Rock, Downey Jr, Evans — and wonder if you’re putting yourself in the wrong place. And yet, having spoken to a few, I know everyone is nervous when the opportunity comes about.”
The Batman was a critical and financial success, earning $771 million worldwide against a $185–200 million budget, ranking it as the seventh-highest-grossing movie of 2022. In addition to receiving numerous other awards, the movie received three nominations for the Academy Awards.
Stream The Batman on HBO Max and Avengers: Infinity War is available on Disney Plus.
