Nicholas Hoult is opening up about losing the role of Bruce Wayne in 2022’s The Batman to Robert Pattinson.
Hoult was one of the names on the shortlist to play the Dark Knight in The Batman, which was directed by Matt Reeves. The role ultimately went to Pattinson; however, Hoult is now playing Lex Luthor in James Gunn’s forthcoming Superman movie, which will be released in 2025.
What did Nicholas Hoult say about The Batman and Robert Pattinson?
Speaking with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, via Variety, Hoult said of losing the role, “Yeah, of course it’s an emotional blow.”
He continued, “Your imagination does not know…you are aware on a practical level: ‘I know I am auditioning against Rob.’ And Rob is fantastic in that movie. That was the right decision. But you get excited by the prospect. Matt [Reeves] is a fantastic director and the script. It’s a cool movie and I want to be a part of it. It’s a brilliant character. There’s a weird period before you can get to the acceptance and see the movie and be like that was the right choice, you go through the period of ‘what could I have done different? Why not me?’ You run through all those things.”
Hoult further recalled how he’d heard Pattinson was going to be cast in The Batman a week before he even did his screen test.
“I was driving in my car and I had the radio on and they were talking on the radio how Rob was going to be the new Batman,” Hoult said. “And I was like, ‘It’s not confirmed yet! I’m auditioning next weekend. Give me a chance.’”
The Batman is currently streaming on Max. Gunn’s Superman, which stars David Corenswet as the Man of Steel, meanwhile opens in United States theaters on July 11, 2025.
