Since the success of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, movie studios have been knocking at the door of actor Robert Pattinson, wanting him to reprise the Batman character in their own movies.
The actor has turned down several offers, including the most recent one from Warner Bros., but we’re sure he’ll change his mind once his current contract with the Hollywood studio runs out in 2021. As a result, fans of the the Twilight Saga and Batman will have to wait till next year to see Pattinson reprise the Caped Crusader.
The Long Wait
While we wait for the upcoming Batman sequel, Pattinson has been busy promoting the Hollywood blockbuster The Lighthouse, which came out in June. The movie was overshadowed by the hype surrounding Avengers: Endgame, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture, but did well at the box office nonetheless. In The Lighthouse, Pattinson plays the heroic, yet gruff character Robert MacCormick, owner of an isolated lighthouse in the Outer Hebrides. The isolation of this small location provides the backdrop for the intense thriller, which sees MacCormick coming to terms with the loss of his son in a tragedy several years earlier. It’s an incredible performance, and one that proves Robert Pattinson is more than capable of standing on his own as a leading man.
Hopes & Fears
Warner Bros. had high hopes for their latest Batman offering, given the studio’s previous success with the Dark Knight movies. They saw it as the opportunity to create something new and exciting, and put an end to the franchise’s 15-year hiatus during which time fans had to make do with lesser-quality films from independent studios.
We’re sure that when the dust settled on the theatrical release of Joker in mid-April, Warner Bros. executives were more than a little disappointed. The movie underperformed at the box office and received mixed reviews from critics. It turned out that the studio had rushed into production with too many cooks in the kitchen, and while the finished product was entertaining, it was certainly not what the studio had in mind when they greenlit the project. Fortunately for Warner Bros., Joker wasn’t the only movie that underperformed at the box office. Solo: A Star Wars Story was also a major disappointment, and the studio will only have itself to blame for that one.
A Challenging Role
Pattinson’s most recent roles have been limited, and it’s been a while since he graced the big screens with acting prowess. We can only hope that once the year is over he’ll have more opportunities to show us what he’s got.
Despite the mixed reactions to Joker, one thing that everyone can agree on is that the character of Harley Quinn, as portrayed by Margot Robbie, was a triumph. The look of delight on her face as she watched the Joker wreak havoc at the end of the movie is one we’ll never forget. That alone should tell you everything you need to know about how challenging this role could be. The pressure is on Robbie to carry the film, and she more than rises to the challenge.
What’s Next?
We don’t yet know what role Pattinson will be playing in the upcoming sequel to The Lighthouse, but we can assume it will be in some sort of heroic capacity. Given his track record, it wouldn’t be surprising if he were to put on a caped crusader uniform once more. We’ll have to wait till 2021 to find out.