Robert Pattinson is poised to star in Matt Reeves‘ The Batman, according to Variety‘s Justin Kroll, who broke the news. A representative for Warner Bros. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Reeves is directing The Batman from his own screenplay and will also produce alongside Dylan Clark. Production is slated to start in the fall, and Warner Bros. will release the film on June 25, 2021.
Collider has heard that Reeves was seeking an actor between 25 and 33 years old, and Pattinson is 33. He was among the early favorites rumored to be taking over the role of the Caped Crusader from Ben Affleck, but I truly struggled to picture Pattinson in the cape and cowl, and questioned whether Pattinson would even want to tackle such an iconic character. The former Twilight star has been doing great work in the indie sphere over the past several years, though he signaled an intention to shift to more commercial fare by signing on to star in Christopher Nolan‘s next movie, which will pair him with John David Washington and Elizabeth Debicki. That film will hit theaters on July 17, 2020, with production expected to start this summer, just as The Batman starts pre-production.
While several trade publications have cautioned that Pattinson doesn’t have the role yet, insisting that Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Armie Hammer remain in the mix, Collider’s sources say Pattinson has won the role, and the other three are simply frontrunners to step in for Pattinson in the event he’s unable to strike a multi-picture deal with Warner Bros. Remember that Reeves is planning a trilogy, so The Batman isn’t expected to be a one-off like the Joker movie starring Joaquin Phoenix.
Pattinson most recently starred in Claire Denis sci-fi mindfuck High Life and he’s set to star in The Lighthouse, a black-and-white horror drama from The Witch filmmaker Robert Eggers that will debut at Cannes. He’ll also soon be seen in Ciro Guerra‘s drama Waiting for the Barbarians with Johnny Depp; David Michôd’s historical epic The King with Timothée Chalamet; and Antonio Campos‘ starry Netflix thriller The Devil All the Time. Pattinson is represented by WME, Curtis Brown Group and 3 Arts Entertainment.