Robert Pattinson Will Play The Caped Crusader In Matt Reeves' 'The Batman' [Updated]
Update: A new report suggests that Pattinson is on the short list for Batman alongside Nicholas Hoult. Read more below.Robert Pattinson is your new Batman. The High Life star has been tapped by Warner Bros. as The Batman star in Matt Reeves' upcoming superhero film set to hit theaters in June 2021. Pattinson will be taking over the cape and cowl from Ben Affleck, who last played the Caped Crusader in 2017's Justice League.
The heartthrob-turned-character actor will now be adding "superhero" to his resume. Variety broke the news that Pattinson has been cast as Batman in Reeves' upcoming The Batman, which will apparently act as a soft reboot for the character who was introduced in the DC Extended Universe as Affleck in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Pattinson's casting flies in the face of a recent report that denied that the actor was up for the part of Bruce Wayne, aka Batman. It's likely that Warner Bros. was playing things close to the vest with the frequent updates of the studio's behind-the-scenes troubles. But now it's out in the open, and fans can rejoice — or lament — Pattinson's casting as the Gotham vigilante.
Reeves' The Batman has been the source of much fan speculation ever since the War For the Planet of the Apes filmmaker took over directing and screenwriting duties for the film. Reeves, who recently shepherded the Planet of the Apes franchise to the modern era to critical acclaim, had an ambitious noir-driven vision for the solo Batman movie, and fans rejoiced over the idea of the World's Greatest Detective actually showing off those mystery-solving chops. Pattinson is an excellent choice to carry out this version of Batman, having proven himself to be an introspective and magnetic character actor in films like High Life and Good Time. And he'll definitely be up for the physicality of the role — at 33, Pattinson will be one of the youngest actors to play Batman on the big screen (Christian Bale, who was 31 when Batman Begins was released, earns that distinction). Pattinson's will be the polar opposite of Affleck's older, world-weary Batman, which could introduce some interesting (and confusing) new twists in the increasingly scrambled DCEU.
No official start date has been set for The Batman, though Variety reports that filming could start in late 2019 or early 2020. Pre-production for The Batman is expected to start this summer, with a scheduled release date for June 25, 2021.
Update: A Deadline report suggests that Pattinson has not yet officially been cast in The Batman, but is at the top of the shortlist to play the Caped Crusader, alongside Nicholas Hoult, who recently starred in Tolkien. The outlet reports that Reeves will announce his official casting soon.