While the initial reaction of the uneducated to Robert Pattinson’s casting as Batman may be something along the lines of “really, the Twilight guy?!”, the fact is that Pattinson has quietly put together a legitimately respectable portfolio ever since the seminal teen vampire film series came to a close.
Breaking through to the mainstream as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Pattinson went on to become the cultural phenomenon that was Edward Cullen, one of the lead protagonists of the wildly popular Twilight franchise.
But since that fantasy heartthrob role, Pattinson has since transitioned to an indie, arthouse actor and has done so with aplomb.
As for the DCEU, following their initially uneven start, they have quietly put together a half-decent catalog, as three of their last four films have featured the excellently cast, paced, and toned Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Shazam!.
At just 33-years-old, Pattinson is three years older than Christian Bale was when he landed the role of Bruce Wayne in 2004. However, given all the reports we’ve heard thus far, the Matt Reeves version of Batman is set to be one of the youngest ever portrayed on film.
Given that Reeves initially signed on in 2017 and The Batman is not set to premiere until Summer of 2021, Warner Bros. is obviously taking every necessary precaution to ensure that this latest version of the cinematic Bruce Wayne connects with fans far deeper than Ben Affleck’s grizzled one ever did.
Reeves — the director of critically acclaimed films such as Cloverfield, Let Me In, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and War for the Planet of the Apes — seems to have the just the right blend of grit and blockbuster in his filmmaking DNA, which should have fans of the iconic Gotham City crimefighter hopeful for Reeves’ vision of the character.
This is also a statement from Pattinson, as it will be his first foray into tentpole films since the Twilight saga wrapped up back in 2012.
Going forward, what fans of the Caped Crusader should hope to see is an outside-the-box villain selection — Hugo Strange, Black Mask, Hush, etc — and an equally inspired casting choice to fill the role.
All that said, with the combination of Reeves, Pattinson, and Warner Bros. recent mini-hot streak — for the first time since The Dark Knight Rises — it finally seems as though DC and Warner Bros. have set their most valuable and beloved character on a promising path.
