The Batman is already exceeding expectations and topping box-office predictions — with many praising Robert Pattinson’s intense portrayal as the Caped Crusader. In a video interview with Twitter Movies, Farrell joined the rapturous chorus of praise.
The In Bruges star revealed his initial reaction upon seeing Pattinson in the full Batman attire — including the sharp cape, the signature cowl and ears and the scenic view of the backlit rooftop. In the video, Farrell recalled arriving on set at a warehouse in his Penguin costume and how floored he felt seeing Batman in the flesh, insisting that Pattinson’s Batman felt more like a robust, fictional figure than an actual human.
The first time I saw Rob in the Batsuit, it was the first time I saw the Batman. I pulled up to the set, we were doing the warehouse scene just before the car chase. I got out of the car — in full costume, full makeup, ready to shoot — and I looked up on the roof. They were just finishing a shot up on the roof with Batman, and swear to God: he was looking down, the cape was blowing in the wind, he was backlit, I could see the cowl, the two ears sticking up. It was two o’clock in the morning, and I just thought, ‘Oh, my God, there it is.’ Not even ‘he,’ but ‘it.’
The 45-year-old actor further described how influential Batman is as a character, referring to him as an “icon” with a ton of history. Farrell went on to explain that so many folks have a strong relationship with the enthralling character and that it “was pretty cool” to see how Pattinson took the character in his own unique direction.
The Batman is in theaters now.