Robert Eggers Recalls Learning Robert Pattinson Became The Batman

Robert Eggers is gearing up to release The Northman, his latest epic saga centered around a viking played by Alexander Skarsgård. Prior to The Northman, Eggers released the critically acclaimed The Lighthouse. It was a film which starred Robert Pattinson, just before he accepted the lead role in DC’s The Batman movie. In an interview with ComicBook.com ahead of The Northman‘s release, Eggers recalled learning from Pattinson that he was going to take on the Caped Crusader gig. 

“When we were doing his ADR in London we had a drink afterward and he was like ‘I need to play Batman,’” Eggers explained, re-enacting Pattinson taking a breath and a sip while sharing the news. “And I was kinda like, ‘Okay, whatever man.’” Eggers, of course, watched the Matt Reeves-directed comic book film which starred his Lighthouse star and is giving it a seal of approval. “I think [Pattinson is] awesome, you know?” Eggers said. “And I also like give like major props to Matt Reeves for like keeping his authorial voice in making a comic book movie.”

Comic book movies are probably not the genre Eggers will be finding himself in any time soon. When asked if anyone has approached him about helming a comic book movie, Eggers noted, “Not Marvel.” According to the visionary director, the glove just wouldn’t fit his hand. “What do I have to offer Marvel? You know? I mean, like everything that I’m good at is like the antithesis of what like a good Marvel director has. So I just don’t see it.”

Eggers is a director who, likely as many others, wants to tell the story his way. In crafting The Northman, he realized that bigger budget films mean more notes and requirements from the studio signing the checks. “The opening, this was not a big deal at all, but like the opening monologue in the film is in English, but it was originally in Old Norse with subtitles,” Eggers said, giving an example of a note from the studio which prompted a change to the cut of the film. “Some people have been pulling my quotes out of context and distorting the heck out of them. Like, I knew I was not gonna have final cut on this movie before I gave the script to the studio. And obviously, like the studio’s gonna give notes. It’s not studio interference. It’s called like making a movie.”

Are you excited to see Eggers’ next film, The Northman? See ComicBook.com’s full interview with Eggers in the video at the top of this page. Share your thoughts in the comment section or send them my way on Twitter! The Northman opens in theaters on April 22.