Robert Pattinson has officially secured the role of Batman. Opinions have and will likely continue to fly out about whether he's right for the role all the way up until The Batman's release. Fan reaction to the casting has been far from universal acclaim, but there's been a fairly strong show of support from within the film community, encouraging audiences to be excited for this big move.
Now, does this mean that everyone's fears should immediately be put to rest and folks aren't allowed to be worried? I don't think so, and I think that while it's great that there's plenty of people pumped and confident he'll succeed, it's also completely fine to have reservations as well. For those who may not understand or are looking for a kindred spirit, here's a handful of reasons to be nervous for the RBatz debut.
Robert Pattinson Is Following Ben Affleck
Though he never had a solo film, people were pretty excited for Ben Affleck's Batman to have one. His Bruce Wayne was one of the shining pieces in Batman v Superman and Justice League, which is saying something given both movies' various problems. His Batman was hardened, gritty, and had an edge to him that showed that even if he's lost a step in old age, he wasn't going down without a fight.
People liked that Batman, and now it's been confirmed that we're going to see Robert Pattinson's Batman in an entirely new interpretation of the character. He's going to be younger for sure, and chances are there will be a handful of other aesthetic and character changes to reflect age and all that. The big shift might cause some apprehension on behalf of fans and cause them to falsely believe Pattinson is to blame for the change.
Robert Pattinson Has Expressed He Doesn't Like The Commitment Behind Superhero Films
For those already excited to see Robert Pattinson's Batman in a trilogy followed by a potential Justice League 2, just pump the brakes for a bit. While it's possible he's changed his position since, long commitments and multiple movies was a part of the reason why Pattinson told Howard Stern in 2017 he wouldn't want to be involved in one.
In fairness, he added after it would depend on the character, so Batman may have been an exception to that role. Either that, or he's ensured this jaunt as Batman is an in-and-out adventure or one that allows him some breathing room between appearances. It would really suck if he knocks this role out of the park and has already negotiated a quick exit leaving DC high and dry and in search of another Dark Knight.
Robert Pattinson May Encourage Hollywood To Pursue A "Twilight" Batman
Robert Pattinson has established himself as a reputable actor in the years since he appeared in the film adaptations of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga. With that said none of his films since have been nearly as commercially successful as those have, which may encourage producers and decision makers to lean on the fact that Edward Cullen is now Batman. Does Batman have a new audience in former Twilight fans?
It's something I'd wager Hollywood is willing to test and could warp the development of The Batman perhaps to allow more scenes where Pattinson's face is visible, or there's some sort of love triangle. None of that is necessarily bad, provided it's upheld that this is a Batman movie above all else and not a test to see if the hero can find a new audience. It may work but alienate a lot of classic Batman fans in the process.
Robert Pattinson Found Comfort In Being An "Arthouse" Actor
Robert Pattinson did an interview with IndieWire not long ago, and essentially confirmed what his supporters have said since rumors first surfaced about him playing Batman. He's changed since Twilight, and he's found comfort in doing more "arthouse" features and smaller roles. In his words, these types of roles are more interesting and give him more freedom to explore the characters he plays.
Now, compare that to Twilight where he was almost fired because he stubbornly refused notes from producers on his performance. He's going to run into those types again while playing Batman, and chances are there's an expectation for how he'll play the role even if Robert Pattinson isn't aware of it yet. How he'll respond to that will be interesting given the point in his career. Will there will be issues with higher ups on how he plays the role?
Robert Pattinson Already Has People Rooting Against Him
Haters are gonna hate. That's a universal truth that's especially pronounced in the age of the internet. With that said, superhero and sci-fi genres can attract an intense and particularly awful form of hatred, which can do anything from cause a studio to back out of a previously announced decision or cause an actor to leave social media to escape constant negativity.
Robert Pattinson being cast as Batman certainly has the attention of the most ardent of critics and trolls, who can wear down the most positive people. It's the kind of stuff that makes actors avoid these genres entirely or drop out after a short run as a character. We can only wait and see how Pattinson will cope with trolls as the countdown to The Batman begins, but one can imagine the constant negativity could affect him in some way.
Robert Pattinson Is Portraying A Batman Never Seen In Movies
Matt Reeves has explained that The Batman's Dark Knight will be different than all Batman live-action films that have come before, in that it will be a noir driven adventure. It'll also lean heavily on the Dark Knight's detective skills, which is one of his greatest assets. We still don't know exactly what that will look like, but it could mean this Batman is more analytical than action.
We won't speculate too far on this, but there's something to be said towards Robert Pattinson getting a Batman role that will be disconnected from Batman performances we've seen in movies before. That means it's on Pattinson and the powers that be to shape this performance, which would be daunting for even the most well-liked of actors. It's a challenge that may define his career should he succeed or fail, so hopefully he's up for the challenge.
Bottom line, it's fine to root for Robert Pattinson and hope he'll knock it out of the park, but those who are nervous about his performance have justification and are allowed to voice their opinion without being told they're wrong. No one has even seen him suit up. Unfortunately, we have no idea when that day will be, although we do know The Batman will premiere in 2021. Stick with CinemaBlend for relevant updates in the meantime on Pattinson, movies, and television.
