Robert Pattinson has revealed critics told him he was not muscular enough to play Batman.
The actor, 40, has insisted he “worked out every day” from 3am in preparation for the lead role in the 2022 reboot of the superhero franchise.
He claimed he had faced backlash over his “underwhelming” physique.
Speaking to GQ magazine, Mr Pattinson said he had installed a home gym to work on his muscles.
“Everyone was like: ‘You didn’t work out at all.’ I worked out every f---ing day,” Pattinson said.
“Even after that, I still look like I didn’t work out. I worked out twice a day at, like, three o’clock in the morning.”
Pattinson claimed much of the ridicule he faced was a result of old comments he once made suggesting that exercise was “uncool”.
“It’s just because I said it in an interview... I was trying to sound cool!”
There is a long tradition of actors putting on weight to bulk up for roles in the Batman franchise.
Christian Bale reportedly gained seven stone in five months for his role in the 2005 film Batman Begins.
Bale is known for his extreme physical transformations, having also put on nearly three stone to achieve the very different body type needed to depict the late Dick Cheney in Vice.
Tom Hardy also reportedly gained nearly two stone of muscle to play Bane in the Dark Knight Rises.
Pattinson became known for his performances in Twilight and Harry Potter and has recently appeared alongside Willem Dafoe in The Lighthouse and Zendaya in The Drama.
Production for The Batman: Part II will be under way soon and will feature Sebastian Stan and Scarlett Johansson in starring roles.
But Pattinson claimed that information about the film’s schedule was a closely guarded secret.
“I just heard from the stunt guy the other day. He said: ‘Ooh, 11 weeks of nights.’ I’m like: ‘Excuse me?’ I’m like: ‘No one’s even sent me a schedule,’” Pattinson said.