The British actor is in talks to play the infamous villain in 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises.
If the deal goes through, Pattinson – who rose to fame in the Twilight series – would join a stellar cast that includes Christian Bale, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The film is the final installment of the Batman trilogy; the first and second films in the series starred Bale and Michael Caine.
Pattinson is known for bringing a brooding, troubled quality to his characters and has spoken of his interest in playing “bad men.” He’s previously appeared in films like Young Adult, The Rover and The Assassination of Gianni Versace.
The 37-year-old actor would become the third member of the Twilight film series to join the cast of The Dark Knight Rises. He joins previously confirmed stars Bale and Gyllenhaal as well as Gordon-Levitt, the actor behind Google’s popular personalized search engine and social network, Google Plus.
Pattinson is said to be the highest-paid actor in Hollywood, earning an estimated $18 million per picture — a feat he accomplished with his role in the 2010 film, Midnight in Paris.
The Dark Knight Rises is set for release on July 20, 2012.