The Batman: Robert Pattinson Reveals Reaction to Positive COVID-19 Test While Filming

Warner Bros. latest DC Comics inspired film, The Batman, is finally in theaters, but the road leading back to the Dark Knight and Gotham was far from an easy one. Not only did production on the Matt Reeves’ helmed film get shut down for six months when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, but when production was able to resume in September 2020 there was another big blow. The Batman himself, Robert Pattinson tested positive for COVID-19 just one day into filming, triggering quarantine precautions and halting production for a few weeks once again. Things eventually worked out and now The Batman is at the top of the box office and thrilling fans and critics alike, but Pattinson reveals that he was “kind of embarrassed” by his positive and worried about what it would mean for the whole production at the time.

Speaking with Variety, Pattinson said that he thinks he was the first person who had to use the protocol established to allow films to resume production during the first year of the pandemic, but the whole situation ended up working out as a proof of concept for how to move forward.

“It was right at the peak of people not really knowing what exactly was going on. We’d set up a protocol to make the project work, and it just so happened I think I was the first person who had to use the protocol,” Pattinson said. “I mean, I was just kind of embarrassed by the whole thing, to be honest. It was so early on after we started shooting and everyone was just so sweet. Andy Serkis, who I was working with at the time, was absolutely lovely about it. I was terrified of what was gonna happen to production. But it all actually was kind of a good proof of concept for how to proceed, and after that point, nothing really happened anyway It was lucky.”

After Pattinson’s positive COVID-19 test, a stringent quarantine procedure had to be followed. At the time, that procedure was described as including anyone who came within six feet of Pattinson for more than 15 minutes needing to be immediately isolated for 14 days, regardless of whether they tested positive. The procedure worked, with the film getting back to work by the middle of September 2020 and according to Pattinson none of the COVID shutdowns — the six month one at the start of the pandemic and the brief one following his positive test — really changed Reeves’ approach to the film. The only real difference was just trying to keep people apart.

“When we came back after the shutdown, we kind of just tried to keep everyone apart as much as possible,” Pattinson explained. “I would have an earpiece in which I communicated with Matt, in between takes. It took a good second to get used to, but it’s actually kind of nice. I can kind of just keep pestering him all the time rather than trying to find him in somewhere in the studio.”

The Batman is now playing in theaters.