A few weeks back, reports had surfaced that Robert Pattinson, the Twilight star turned indie film icon, was Warner Bros and Matt Reeves‘ top choice to take on the mantle of the Batman role since vacated by Ben Affleck.
Almost immediately, subsequent reports stated that Pattinson actually had pretty fierce competition from X-Men star Nicholas Hoult, and that it was really a two-man race. Well, that race is over and Pattinson is the one that crossed the finish line, per Deadline.
Apparently, things were so tight, that the studio had brought in both actors to screen-test for the role, they felt it was such a critical decision. And while a final deal hasn’t just yet been signed, Pattinson is going to be your new on-screen Batman/Bruce Wayne. And according to the latest reports, it’ll be for a trilogy of films that Reeves has cooked up.
There’s been a lot of chatter about this initial film, with comparisons to Chinatown being bandied about, and more specifically citations here and there that the late Darwyn Cooke‘s Batman: Ego was a key material of inspiration. On top of that, Catwoman and The Penguin are seemingly the villains that RBatz will square off against. Gang, it’s not too late for Kristen Stewart to play Selina Kyle.
Pattinson has had a fascinating career of late, and while Twilight earned him a tough reputation among the internet commentariat, he’s followed it up with incredible performances in films like The Rover, Good Time, and High Life (still my top film of the year). He’s coming into this role at a perfect time in his growth as an actor, and ironically, he’s also set to star in Christopher Nolan‘s upcoming film Tenet…so Pattinson is extremely within the Warner Bros wheelhouse right now. I can’t wait to see this movie, and apparently the film will “in no way carry on the work” of Affleck’s older Batman. So, it sounds like a full reboot to me. More to come though, as The Batman releases on June 25, 2021.
Okay. My mind is open. Show us what you’ve got, Mr. Pattinson.
Yeah, he and Ben Affleck seem like they’re about the same age.
Pattinson is 33. Affleck is 46.
I just hope we don’t have to it through the origin story again.
“comparisons to Chinatown being bandied about”:
“Forget it, Bruce, it’s Crime Alley”?
George, that Chinatown comparison is probably just because it’s a detective story and insiders make pretty broad comparisons. It’s like when people called The Winter Soldier a “political thriller”…yeah, putting Robert Redford in your movie does not a political thriller make.
I’m sure the comparison of the Joker movie to “The King of Comedy” will prove overblown. Unless the Joker hijacks Jimmy Fallon’s show for a night.
I can see Pattinson being a young Batman. He fits the description pretty nicely.
Alas, I’v’e heard that this movie WILL include the origin. Maybe I can skip the first 20 minutes.
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