It’s Official—Robert Pattinson is Your Next Batman

Robert Pattinson is officially your next Batman, edging out Nicholaus Hoult for the lead role in Matt Reeves’ upcoming stand-alone The Batman. The news first circulated on May 17 that Pattinson was a leading contender for the role, and now Deadline has confirmed that Pattinson has it after a screen test yesterday. He’s an intriguing choice—and we’ll argue excellent one—to take on the role of the caped crusader. After becoming a global star playing the teenage heartthrob vampire Edward Cullen in the Twilight series, Pattinson took his career in a totally different direction. He most recently teamed up with the great Clare Denis for High Life, and before that has worked with David Cronenberg in his gritty/great Don DeLillo adaptation, Cosmopolis (2012), and the Safdie Brothers on their relentless drug caper Good Time (2017). It seems that Reeves The Batman could be a nice bridge between Pattinson’s indie and blockbuster background.

At 33, Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne will be the second-youngest in history after Christian Bale, who was 31 in Batman Begins, the first of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. In terms of physicality, Pattinson will be a much leaner version of Batman compared to both Ben Affleck and Bale, who are big and muscular. While he could easily play Wayne’s billionaire playboy side, as Bale so effortlessly did in Nolan’s trilogy, he’s also got an intensity, even a little bit of recklessness, that could add some really interesting nuance to the character. Pattinson has no trouble playing troubled people, and Bruce Wayne is nothing if not troubled.

Reeves has said in the past that his film will focus more on Batman’s incredible detective skills and skew more towards noir than a traditional superhero blockbuster. This is very promising. Pattinson seems like a great choice for a film that drills down into Batman’s abilities sleuthing throughout Gotham.

The Batman is due in theaters on June 25, 2021.

Featured image: Robert Pattinson in ‘High Life.’ Courtesy A24/Photo: Martin Valentin Menke