Rumours that superstar Robert Pattinson would be playing the iconic Caped Crusader have been doing the rounds for a while now, but the actor has consistently denied the speculation. Now that he’s completed filming on the highly anticipated new movie, The Batman, there’s no going back. Here’s all the latest on the 22-year-old British hottie’s alleged big-screen debut as Batman.
The Batman Teaser
The first ever image from The Batman, which is now available to see in its entirety (visit our partners for The Batman for more details), sees the caped crusader staring down at the city of Gotham from above, surveying the scene below with a look of grim determination on his handsome face. Fans of the Dark Knight will be able to spot a number of iconic settings in the shot, including the Gotham Public Library, the Royal Shakespeare Company and even a touch of the London fog. While the scenery is undeniably pretty, it’s the intensity of Pattinson’s stare that really drives the scenery into the background and gets the blood boiling. What do you think? Is it possible that this is, in fact, Robert Pattinson as Batman?
Robert Pattinson Wants To Play The Joker
While it would be tempting to assume that Robert Pattinson would be the first actor to play Batman onscreen, that would be an erroneous assumption. In 2006, the role was first offered to British actor Tom Hardy and, four years later, he was still waiting for his big break when Warner Bros. decided to reboot the Batman franchise with Christian Bale as Batman. It was only then that Pattinson’s dreams of playing the Dark Knight came true, but even so, he still wants to play the Joker. In fact, at least once he’s completed The Batman, he plans on jumping right into the role and won’t rule out returning to the character later on down the line.
Why Is Robert Pattinson As Batman Different To Previous Versions?
From the sublime casting of Michael Caine in 1969’s Batman to the camp casting of Val Kilmer in 1995’s Batman Forever, everyone has wanted to play Batman at some point in their career. It’s fair to say that it usually doesn’t end well. But for Pattinson, being Batman is a dream come true, and his version of the character is very different to those that came before it. He doesn’t want to be Batman; he wants to live in Batman’s world and be Batman’s sidekick, Bruce Wayne. And that’s what The Batman is all about. It’s an origin story for Bruce Wayne, who, after his parents are murdered, decides to devote his life to fighting crime. Pattinson’s portrayal of Wayne is subdued and introspective, and throughout the film, he’s plagued by doubts about his own ability to carry on his grand father’s legacy. It’s a far cry from the cocky billionaire that was Christian Bale’s Batman, and that probably says a lot about Pattinson’s acting chops as well as the direction that Zack Snyder is taking the character in (the resemblance between Bale and Pattinson’s Batman is uncanny).
Will Robert Pattinson Play A Different Character In The Next Batman Movie?
While the teaser made it look like we’d be seeing a lot of Robert Pattinson in The Batman, that’s definitely not the case. As we’ve established, Bruce Wayne is indeed the star of the show, and he’ll be front and centre for most of it. But throughout the runtime of the movie, Bruce will be accompanied by a supporting cast that includes several pivotal characters that will have important roles to play in the bigger story. Some of those characters will be played by famous actors, such as Rosie Huntington-Whiteley as Huntress/Harley Quinn and Naomie Harris as Miss/Mrs. Peacock. And while it would be tempting to assume that they’d just be there to provide eye candy for the viewers, the characters that these actresses play will have a lot more agency than that. With a script that’s as tight as it is well-written and directed, The Batman will be bursting at the seams with unexpected plot twists and turns, and the character castings that work best are the ones that surprise you the most. You’ll definitely recognise a lot of faces in The Batman, but just because these characters have been in the spotlight for a while doesn’t mean that they’re played by famous actors or that their roles are easy to spot. The movie will keep you guessing about which characters are meant to be major and which ones are just filler, and that’s what makes it so much fun to follow.