Many people still believe that Robert Pattinson is the Dark Knight. The British actor took over from Christian Bale as the Caped Crusader in 2015’s The Batman. However, is he really Batman? Let’s examine the facts.
A Familiar Face
Many have noted the resemblance between Pattinson and Batman, with him even being referred to as “the next Batman”. The actor has previously been linked to the superhero and has even been featured on the cover of Detective Magazine wearing a Batman-style mask. However, while he might look the part, is he really Batman?
Firstly, let’s examine the similarities between the actor and the character he’s portraying. Both are dark-haired men with piercing green eyes and bear a strong resemblance to each other. In fact, Hollywood Life recently stated that “Pattinson Is The New Batman”, while other media outlets have claimed that “Pattinson Is The Bane” or “Pattinson Is The Joker”, seemingly suggesting that he might be a villain in the upcoming film adaptation of War for the Planet of the Apes (2017).
No Bat Phone
Another thing that makes Pattinson the new Batman is the fact that he doesn’t have a Bat Phone. While it’s not unheard of for superheroes to donned the cowl not to be able to make calls, the fact that he doesn’t have a Bat Phone suggests that this is not the case with him. Instead, as the actor told Vogue, “There’s something really liberating not having a phone”.
This makes sense; if you’re not going to be needing a phone anyway, then why carry one around? Being able to leave your phone at home means you don’t have to worry about being distracted by calls and messages while performing your daily tasks. You can focus on what’s important to you, which is often times better than being focused on your phone.
Stark Contrast To His Appearance
Another surprising fact about Pattinson is that, according to his publicist, he is “actually much more contrasting” to Batman’s appearance than people would expect. The actor is described as being “more of a vagabond-type person” and possessing “earthy” and “tame” features that belie his true nature. Furthermore, his publicist says that his “look is probably very polarizing” because he “strives to defy expectations”.
Flawed Research
Finally, let’s consider the source and the purpose of the information presented above. Much of this information comes from an article titled “The Next Batman Might Surprise You”, published by Bustle. The piece is flawed in its research as the writer clearly has an agenda. For instance, among other things, the piece states that:
“…Pattinson is actually more contrasting to the Dark Knight than people would expect because he is more of a vagabond person. The British actor is described as being ‘earthy’ and ‘tame’…”
Let’s examine each portion of this quote. First, “the Dark Knight is often associated with a ‘vague, mystical fear’”, which is not at all in line with Pattinson’s portrayal. The article goes on to list several other flaws in its research. For example, it states that “Pattinson is set to play a radically altered Dark Knight in the highly anticipated sequel” and then lists several alleged differences between the two characters. While it’s true that Pattinson is set to play an altered version of Batman, it doesn’t change the fact that he is in fact, more similar to the character than different.
Is Robert Pattinson The New Batman?
Ultimately, we can’t say for sure whether or not Robert Pattinson is the new Batman. What we can say is this: we’re living in a world full of surprises, and nowhere is that more evident than in the world of superheroes. We’ll have to wait and see who takes up the mantle of the Dark Knight in future. For now, let’s just admire Pattinson’s uncanny resemblance to the Caped Crusader and bask in the fact that he doesn’t have a Bat Phone.