The British actor and producer Robert Pattinson made headlines
when he was revealed to be the mystery man who had been paying
attention to billionaire and fashion icon Catherine Zeta-Jones
across several films. Since then, he has become
a magnet for the rich and famous, who have taken a liking to his
charming good looks and easy-going nature.

Pattinson was born in London in 1984, the son of director
Stephen Pattinson and actress Kate Beckinsale. From a young age,
he showed a great interest in movies, regularly attending film
releases and premieres with his family. He went on to study acting
at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and made his
professional debut in 2004 playing one of Alfred’s hand-picked
students in the TV series Alfred. Since then, he has appeared in
films such as The Darjeeling Limited, The Great Gatsby, and Now
You See Me 2. In 2018, he will be seen playing the lead role
in the upcoming superhero film, Black Mask.

Batman’s Mindset

Pattinson’s rise to fame comes at a time when Hollywood
is enjoying a fresh wave of nostalgia. This year has seen the
release of several films inspired by the legendary Batman
(Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Returns, Ben Affleck’s
The Dark Knight, and Todd McFarlane’s The Lego Batman Movie), as
well as television series such as Gotham and the upcoming
Batwoman. While these films offer an opportunity for fans of the
dark knight to relive some of their childhood joys, they also
present a strange and perhaps unsettling parallel
world where the rich and famous live in luxury.

If you’re unfamiliar, the original Batman series was first
published by DC Comics in 1942. It focused on Batman’s early
years as a crime-fighting vigilante in Gotham City. Batman has
been continuously inspiring films and television shows ever
since.

What is perhaps most interesting about this particular
installment of Batman is that it appears to offer a glimpse into
the billionaire’s mindset. The film takes place 30 years after
the events of the previous movie, The Dark Knight Rises, in
which Bruce Wayne retired from being Batman (at least for a
little while). After spending a year in a self-described “semi-retirement”,
Wayne is once again inspired by the villains of Gotham to
return to his crime-fighting ways.

The film begins with a scene of Alfred, Wayne’s
self-proclaimed “manager” and bodyguard (a role later
cast to Sean Bean), drinking a martini at Wayne Manor.
We then see a shot of Alfred’s hand holding a gun, presumably
pointed
at the camera. Next, we see Alfred and Wexley, a butler,
disputing the seating arrangement at a lavish dinner party being
held at Wayne Manor. The scene then pans to a shot of Wayne
approaching the camera with his hands in his pockets, staring
intently at it.

Wayne then says he’s received a letter from a “business
partner” located abroad, informing him that there’s “a lot of
money to be made” from an investment they’re negotiating
on his behalf. This, of course, is a reference to the
billionaire lifestyle that awaits him. The scene cuts to
a medium shot of Wayne seated at a dining room table, with one
hand extended in front of him, palm up. At the table, we see an
array of handguns,
including a small caliber pistol and what appears to be an
M16 rifle. In the background, we see what appears to be a billiard
table, and a couch that has been turned into a bed. We then
hear the sound of a zipper being opened, followed by a
woman’s laughter. The camera cuts to a close-up of Wayne,
who is now fully clothed, staring intently at the table
through slits in his eyes.

The letter is then read aloud by Wayne, who
states that the “business partner” is impressed with his
willingness to take risks for the good of Gotham, and wants to
offer him “a substantial sum of money” for his personal
services. The scene cuts to a medium shot of Wayne,
this time with his head slumped back and his eyes closed.
He seems physically and emotionally exhausted. Finally, the
camera
returns to Alfred, who raises an eyebrow at the sight of
Wayne asleep at the table. We then see a long shot of
Wayne’s hands, bound by rope, as he is dragged away by Two-Face,
one of the film’s main villains. We then see a close-up of one
of
the villain’s hands, holding a small caliber pistol. This is
followed by a cut to black, with a voiceover from Heath
Ledger’s deathbed monologue, a scene that was not part of the
final cut of The Dark Knight.

Pattinson’s Rise To Fame

Not all of Batman’s 30-year absence was spent in
retirement. Since his presumed death in 1988, Batman’s
charismatic image has been used to sell everything from
deodorizers and dog food to vodka, perfume, and even tires. The
character has also been embraced by other media, as evidenced by
various comic books, toys, video games, and song lyrics.

Pattinson’s interest in Batman was first piqued when he
was a child, and he regularly attended screenings of the
cartoons with his family. He went on to study acting at the
London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and made his
professional debut in 2004 as Alfred’s student in the TV series
Alfred. Since then, he has appeared in several films,
including the upcoming superhero film, Black Mask, as
well as The Darjeeling Limited and The Great Gatsby. He
also produced the 2015 documentary, Pattinson, about his early
career.

Even before the news of his relationship with
Catherine Zeta-Jones broke, Pattinson was considered a
“menswear male celebrity”, and a member
of “the best-dressed gallery in London”.
This year, he became a face of Marc Jacobs, and also
designed a fragrance named after him.

A Joker To Remember

While Heath Ledger’s performance as the
Joker in 2008’s The Dark Knight was
regarded as one of the greatest of all time, it was not
immediately apparent that he had died. The Australian actor had
battled addiction throughout his life, which he ultimately
brought on himself. It was not until the following year that he
was officially recognized as having passed.

This is not to say that Heath Ledger’s Joker
is an unsympathetic character. On the contrary, he is a
sympathetic character whose story is told from the
perspective of the people around him. As such, Ledger’s Joker
is
one of the most identifiable, complex, and endearing
characters in cinematic history.

A New Generation Of Superheroes?

In 2018, the superhero genre enjoyed its best year
since 2010, with the release of Aquaman, Shazam!, and Black
Kklansman. While these films and television shows offered
fans
of the genre a nostalgic trip down memory lane, they also
presented a new generation of superheroes. In the case of
Aquaman,
it was the offspring of two of the biggest names in
superheroes, Batman and Superman, who took the lead in
defining
their parent’s legacy. For Shazam!, it was
the nephew of Captain America, who decides to make
his own
name for himself as a superhero, finally standing up for
what’s
right and making his uncle proud. In the case of Black
Kklansman, it was a character created for comic
books who decides to stand up for what’s right and fight
against
racism.

All of this is to say that while Hollywood may be
revisiting the golden era of superheroes, it is also offering
a
new generation of heroes who will change the way we look at
them.