LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 20:  Robert Pattinson attends the GO Campaign Gala 2018 at City Market Social House on October 20, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.  (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)
Report: This actor could be the next Batman
01:10 - Source: CNN
CNN  — 

While Robert Pattinson is thrilled to be cast as the new Batman, he was less than thrilled when the news got out early.

“When that thing leaked, I was f***ing furious,” he told Variety. “Everyone was so upset. Everyone was panicking from my team. I sort of thought that had blown up the whole thing.”

Pattinson was worried the early attention would get him cut from the project and said he started scouring the internet to make sure the studio hadn’t put on the brakes.

He didn’t have to worry.

The actor is set to star in the Matt Reeves-directed film, “The Batman.”

Growing up in England, Pattinson was a fan of Tim Burton’s “Batman” films, he said.

“When I was a kid, it was the only outfit that I had,” he said.

The “Twilight” star told Variety he’s been after the role for a while.

“It’s such an absurd thing to say. I sort of had an idea to do it, and I’d been prodding Matt,” Pattinson said. “He didn’t accept any prods. I kept asking to meet him.”

Reeves finally took a meeting for which Pattinson arrived with a ton of notes.

Things were progressing well when news broke that Pattinson was the front-runner for the role.

“It was terrifying,” said Pattinson, who was in Cannes, France, when it all went down. “I was like, ‘Oh f***! Does that screw me because they are so intent on secrecy?’”

Now that he’s been cast, the actor is taking everything in stride, including criticism from those less than happy about him securing the iconic role.

“To be honest, it was less vitriolic than I was expecting,” he said. “It’s much more fun when you’re an underdog. There’s no expectation of you.”