Robert Pattinson reveals the inspirations for his Batman voice

In a new interview, Robert Pattinson shared the inspirations for his voice in The Batman.

Matt Reeves’ The Batman won’t see a release in theaters for another two years, and its production start date is months away. But the cast is coming together, and we are learning more about what star Robert Pattinson plans to bring to his role tonally.

In an interview with Access Hollywood, Pattinson revealed his voice as Batman is inspired by the accent his The Lighthouse co-star, Willem Dafoe, uses for his grizzled sailor/lighthouse keeper character in their black-and-white thriller from The Witch director Robert Eggers.

Asked if he had spent any time practicing the voice at length, Pattinson responded the Dafoe has “kind of” been an influence on him and so has a certain class of tough seafarers, pirates, who — like Batman — have romantic notions and fandom attached to them. Said Pattinson:

"“Willem’s voice in this is kind of inspiring for it, to be honest. It is pretty similar, the voice I’m gonna do. Batman has a sort of piratey kind of voice, I think that will really suit it.”"

Dafoe’s intonations in Eggers’ film are an unorthodox muse and not what most would think of as conjuring a brooding Dark Knight. For those who haven’t seen the movie or even a trailer, Dafoe’s inflection can be described as a volatile, joyless version of Captain McAllister from The Simpsons.

Willem Dafoe, a beloved character actor known for many celebrated villains and supporting roles, is an interesting inspiration due to his manifold connections to comic franchises. His most famous part in a comic book movie is that of Norman Osborn and the Green Goblin in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy. What some fans may not know is he was considered for the Joker in Tim Burton’s Batman back in 1989. Years later, fan art of Dafoe’s visage in Heath Ledger’s Joker makeup found its way online.

Today, Dafoe plunged deep into DC waters as Vulko in Aquaman. Odds are good he’ll return for the sequel, which is headed for production soon if all goes according to plan.

Batman might not be a pirate, but he is a no-nonsense vigilante with a tragic past that strikes fear in criminals. To Pattinson, that doesn’t make the Bat much of a hero, as he stated in another interview recently, though he still calls him “complicated.”

Robert Pattinson nabbed the role of the Caped Crusader in May. Reportedly, he was always Reeves’ favorite but is still blown away that he was cast. The Batman will be his first big-budget blockbuster since the Twilight series.

Alongside him, the film will star Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as The Riddler, and Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Gordon.

The Lighthouse is now playing in select theaters, including some major chains, and The Batman comes out in the summer of 2021.