From gifted wizard to sparkly vampire to masked vigilante, for better or for worse, Robert Pattinson is the new Batman.
According to Deadline, the heartthrob beat out Nicholas Hoult for the role, with Warner Bros. confirming Pattinson as the star of The Batman, a new trilogy of films directed by Matt Reeves. Reeves also posted a confirmation in his own way on Twitter, sharing a gif of a scruffed-out Pattinson looking deep in contemplation, coupled with a few bat emojis.
🦇🦇🦇 pic.twitter.com/2AaQaexvUF
— Matt Reeves (@mattreevesLA) June 3, 2019
Some outlets are reporting that Warner Bros. is in negotiations with Pattinson, others are saying the deal is already inked, others claim the deal is weeks old already. While it’s tough to tell exactly where we are in this process, it seems pretty clear that this is happening, one way or another.
Pattinson joins a raft of seasoned actors who have donned the iconic suit, including Val Kilmer, Michael Keaton, Christian Bale, and most recently (and most unfortunately) Ben Affleck. Even George Clooney sported a nipple-prominent version for a few years.
And Pattinson joins the franchise at a great time. Affleck definitely drew the short straw, playing an older version of the Bat in the Batman vs. Superman and Justice League films, which most fans wish they could forget. Coming off Christian Bale’s epic performance in the Dark Knight trilogy, it was a tough act to follow — and Affleck fell miserably short. So really, things can only get better from here.
DC had a rough couple of years, with films like Suicide Squad and the Justice League epically bombing at the box office, especially compared with the success Marvel has been experiencing with hits like Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame. But Warner Bros. executives announced a shift away from team-up films, and instead will focus on standalone series, which typically perform much better for DC.
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And things are already looking up. According to Box Office Mojo, Aquaman raked in more than $1.1 billion in worldwide ticket sales, a major increase compared to Justice League’s $657 million. In addition to the new Batman trilogy, more superhero — and villain — madness is on the way from DC, including Birds of Prey starring Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, a Suicide Squad reboot directed by Guardians of the Galaxy’s James Gunn, Joker starring Joaquin Phoenix, Wonder Woman 1984, The Flash, and sequels to Aquaman and Shazam!
Known for his epic brooding, Pattinson seems like a great fit for the constantly conflicted, orphaned Bruce Wayne, though no details have emerged yet on what direction the latest trilogy will take. Rumor has it Reeves will focus in on the detective aspect of Batman that hasn’t been explored much in film yet. We’re looking forward to every small morsel of information that is sure to be dropped our way leading into the production kick-off later this year.
Photo: Filmnation Entertainment
