'I don't understand how I've got it'! Robert Pattison reveals shock at taking on the iconic role of Batman and discusses storming out of the studio during new film with Willem Dafoe

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It was announced earlier this year that he will be taking on the role of the Caped Crusader in the upcoming Batman trilogy.

And it appears nobody was more shocked than Robert Pattison that he was given the part, as he claimed he 'doesn't understand' how he was chosen for the iconic role.

During a joint interview with his The Lighthouse co-star Willem Dafoe, Robert, 33, discussed their new project together as well as the latest Batman films.

Shocked: Robert Pattison claimed he 'doesn't understand' how he was chosen for the iconic role of Batman

Detailing his reaction to the Batman news, he told Esquire: 'It's kind of insane. I was so far away from ever thinking it was a realistic prospect. I literally do not understand how I've got it, at all.'

Robert also candidly discussed the tiresome process of rehearsing for The Lighthouse, which he described as 'very frustrating' and led to him storming out of the studio at the end of the day feeling like everyone thought he was 's**t'.

The Twilight actor claimed that the issue stemmed from not being able to get into the part without the cameras rolling, which left him fearing that he would be fired from the film.

He claimed: 'It was very, very frustrating. I just couldn't achieve what they wanted me to achieve in that room. Robert [Eggers] was getting furious with me because I was just sitting there, completely monotone the whole time. 

New projects: During a joint interview with his The Lighthouse co-star Willem Dafoe, Robert, 33, discussed their new project together as well as the latest Batman films

'He could not stand it. I just don't know how to perform it until we're performing it. By the end of the week, I'm thinking, "I'm going to get fired before we've even started". I definitely feel like, with the rehearsal period, we were quite angry with each other by the end of it.

'Literally, we'd finish for the day, I'd f******g slam out the door and go home. I knew that there was diminishing expectations of me throughout the week of rehearsals. I definitely became an underdog. They're like, "Wow, this was a big mistake. He's really sh*t."

While talking about working with Willem, Robert gushed over his acting ability and admitted that he can sit there and do nothing and still look interesting.

Unbelievable: Detailing his reaction to the Batman news, he told Esquire : 'It's kind of insane. I was so far away from ever thinking it was a realistic prospect'

However Willem appeared to echo Robert's sentiment that it wasn't the friendliest set atmosphere, and said: ''We both were working hard, in really tough conditions. It's not like we hung out in between takes, joking with each other. 

'It was demanding enough, and the weather was s****y enough that you did your thing, and then you went home. I'm not complaining. It was fun.

'But when you go home after 12 hours and you're soaking wet and you're cold all day, last thing I wanna do after being with those guys all day was to hang out with them and have some drinks.'

Eerie: The eerie drama, directed by Robert Eggers, followd Ephraim (Pattinson) as he spends four weeks as an assistant to a lighthouse keeper (Willem Dafoe)

Robert's latest character in their film appears a far cry from anything he has played before, as he takes on the part of Ephraim Winslow, a lighthouse keeper who goes mad.

He said: 'Because you're playing a mad person, it means you can sort of be mad the whole time. Well, not the whole time, but for like an hour before the scene. You can literally just be sitting on the floor growling and licking up puddles of mud.'

'It was crazy. I spent so much time making myself throw up. Pissing my pants. It's the most revolting thing. I don't know, maybe it's really annoying.' 

The Lighthouse comes 11 years after his breakout film Twilight, and Robert admitted that it has been a bit of a struggle growing up in the limelight.

He added that being a recluse in his private life gave him the excuse to 'go wild' on set, he said: 'For a long time you're very self-conscious in the street. You're hiding a lot, so [on set] you have an excuse to be wild. It's like being an adrenaline junkie. 

'And also, when you don't know how to do something, why not just run headfirst into a wall? See what happens. I haven't got any other ideas.

The eerie drama, directed by Robert Eggers, follows Ephraim (Pattinson) as he spends four weeks as an assistant to a lighthouse keeper (Willem Dafoe).

One to watch: His work in The Lighthouse will also no doubt stick with him, however, as he discussed the troubles he encountered filming a scene in which he has sex with a mermaid

He must carry out the mundane tasks of cleaning, scrubbing floors and carrying coal.

However the remote island soon begins to take its toll on Ephraim and he soon transcends into a world of madness and chaos, murdering a seagull and screaming about wanting steak.

The film, which has been described by the director as 'something a little weirder' than his last film The Witch, made its debut earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival.

The Lighthouse will hit UK screens on October 5 and the US on 18th

The November – December issue of Esquire UK is on sale from 3rd October 

Unusual: The Lighthouse comes 11 years after his breakout film Twilight, and Robert admitted that it has been a bit of a struggle growing up in the limelight (pictured in Eclipse film 2010)