Robert Pattinson And Zoe Kravitz Confirm What We Suspected About Their On-Screen Chemistry
Tackling a more psychological side of the Caped Crusader, the upcoming release of "The Batman" will focus on the strange connection between two iconic characters. Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz transform into Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle, a duo that has been featured in countless iterations and a Batman-Catwoman relationship they are hoping to redefine with a fresh take.
Director Matt Reeves has a specific image of this new Batman, telling Entertainment Weekly he wants to take audiences "on a journey where you start having one point of view about what he's doing and then have that challenged in such a way so that you knew by the end, he would have an awakening." The DCEU has focused much more on big-name villains in recent years, but this time, it's all about Batman. "The Riddler is omnipresent, but almost as a ghost," Reeves explained. With this shift in superhero perspective, Catwoman is essential in showing the complex angles that fracture between "good guys and bad guys."
To hear Kravtiz tell it, it took a while for her to get ahold of her character. "[Matt] gave me a motorcycle helmet and was like, 'Walk in, take it off, and start the scene.' I was like, 'This is how I don't get the part,'" Kravtiz joked to Elle of her audition. "I don't get the part because the helmet gets stuck on my head, and I don't look cool. I'll get my lines, but I will f*** up this helmet moment." Little did she know, the moment would jumpstart successful chemistry with her co-star.
The Bat and The Cat are a perfect match
For "The Batman" to offer moviegoers something new, the on-screen chemistry between Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz was essential. Previous films boosted the presence of memorable villains, but marketing for Matt Reeves' film instead focuses on the never-quite-a-couple crime-fighting vigilante duo, Batman and Catwoman. Even the final trailer was titled "The Bat and The Cat."
"The chemistry read was really intense," Kravitz told Entertainment Weekly, explaining that her audition was a "proper camera test" with Pattinson in the Batsuit on a full soundstage. "It wasn't just reading lines in a room. So it was intimidating, to say the least." While she panicked over capturing Catwoman's cool vibe, Pattinson was also having serious anxiety. Despite already being cast for the titular role, everything was still so new. "The first time I'd even said lines from the script was in Zoë's screen test," he revealed. "The camera's not even on me ... I'm literally having this major panic attack, just looking for emotional support from Zoë, who's trying to get the part."
The two may have been lost in their own nerves, but Reeves could quickly tell the match was made. Kravitz and Pattinson point out their characters' attempts at ignoring a strong connection, which fits perfectly into the overall "outsider" theme we've seen so far. And, as Kravitz previously told Variety, "He's a really interesting artist, and that is very much Batman in a way ... I think he's perfect for this role," before quipping, "... and he looks good in the suit, man."