When you think of Hollywood actors playing superheroes, usually you think of someone with acting ability and comic book chops who isn’t camera-shy; in other words, Robert Pattinson.
Yes, after a brief appearance in The Avengers, the British actor is best known as the reluctant vampire in the Twilight franchise and its spinoff, New Moon. But he’s also proven himself capable of taking on another iconic DC Comics superhero with panache: Batman.
Pattinson, who turns 33 this year, will play the Dark Knight in a big-budget, Hollywood-produced adaptation of Frank Millers’ novel Batman: White Knight. While the source material primarily focuses on the rivalry between Batman and the Joker, in White Knight, Batman is pitted against his greatest nemesis, the wealthy businesswoman Vicki Vale (Catherine Zeta-Jones).
As awesome as it would be to see the Caped Crusader and the Joker clash on the big screen, this latest adaptation of the Batman franchise will be a completely different ballgame. For starters, White Knight is set in an alternate timeline where the Joker is Batman’s best friend and constant companion in crime-fighting. The film will also see the Dark Knight paired with Catwoman (Anne Hathaway), who was a mainstay of Christopher Nolans’ Batman series.
Is It Time For The Anti-Batman?
That’s not to say that these comics-accustomed fans aren’t excited about seeing Pattinson play Batman. After all, he’s one of the few actors who’s proven himself able to tackle both comic book characters and superhero roles with equal success. But the fact is that White Knight isn’t exactly the anti-Batman. Far from it.
In the comics, the Joker is always the architect of his own downfall; he is never Batman’s true adversary. While the Caped Crusader and the Joker go head-to-head on a near-constant basis, it’s actually the Joker’s clownish personalities that cause him the most trouble. It’s only when Batman faces off against the Joker’s aliens, including a bunch of bats, that the Dark Knight manages to really embarrass the Comic Book Rapist. It’s even then that Batman begins to understand the true nature of his greatest adversary.
While White Knight is the first movie adaptation of Millers’ Batman series, it’s not actually the first time Pattinson has played the Caped Crusader. Back in 2013, the actor starred in The Rover, a spoof of a classic British novel by Graham Durrant (Monsignor Mountainview).
The film follows the adventures of Robbie (Pattinson), who is accidentally left behind during World War II, and has to make his way across Europe in order to find his friends and family. Along the way, Robbie starts up with some of the locals in his trusty Roamer truck and becomes a bit of a celebrity, in part due to his good looks and famous family name. (Yes, Durrant’s novel was inspired by the legendary Pretender, Robin Pattinson.)
The film adaption of Pretender is a bit more traditional in its approach, focusing primarily on the actions of the lead character and the interactions with others, especially his friends. But White Knight is clearly a step up; for one, it’s an entirely new universe of characters, with the Joker being the main arch-nemesis, and two, Pattinson is front and center throughout, delivering one of the film’s greatest performances.
Who’s The Real Batman?
There’s another factor that might make some comic book fans sad: though White Knight will portray a bunch of Batman’s rivals and enemies, the film will only reveal one of the Caped Crusaders’ true identities. (Yes, that would be the alien Joker from the previous paragraphs.)
While Pattinson will play Batman, Hugh Jackman will be reprising his role as the Joker. (If you haven’t seen the Australian actress Catwoman yet, you might want to check out her awesome comic book self-titled series. It’s named after the feline burglar whose rookie day out of high school she steals all of Batman’s clothes, including his cape, in one of the most iconic comic book fashion accidents of all time.)
We’re not sure if Batman’s secret identity will be revealed in the film; we’ll have to wait and see. But given that Catwoman is the only comic character other than the Joker that Pattinson has proved himself able to play with equal success, maybe the fans of both characters will get a chance to learn who is really biting their teeth in these new movies.
If you’re a fan of either Batman or the Joker, then White Knight will be right up your alley. But if you’re more of a fan of Catwoman, you might want to watch out for Pattinson’s other feline companion, the fierce and dangerous Black Cat.
Though he has proven himself a great actor in the comic book scene, Pattinson is most famous for his work in films that don’t have a comic book connection. With Hollywood continuing its explosion of comic book adaptations, hopefully, Pattinson’s ability to play both comic characters will land him some fancy comic book jobs that don’t involve cats or vampires.