As the recent ‘remake season eight of Games of Thrones‘ petition shows, we now live in a world where fans will come together to oppose studio decisions if they are not happy with it.
Unsurprisingly, this has applied to the recent casting news surrounding who will play the next Batman, a decision comparable only to who will play the next James Bond.
Bruce Wayne is the most enigmatic characters in the DC Comics universe; all at once an outcast and a socialite, brooding yet extravagant. The actor in the bat suit must be capable of portraying his secretive side, his strength and his deeply rooted personal trauma.
And – hear me out – who better to capture this elusive essence than someone who has played a formidably strong, powerful vampire just trying to blend in at your ordinary American high school?
Robert Pattinson has the icy good looks and intensity of the Gotham playboy. I can already picture him steering the Batmobile through shadowy streets or chasing cackling villains up to the rooftops.
Furthermore, Pattinson has come a long way from his teenage heart throb roots in Twilight. He has gained critical acclaim for his performance as a billionaire in Cosmopolis (2012) and in The Rover (2014).
And so when I heard how the 33-year-old actor has been named as first choice to play the the Caped Crusader, as reported by Variety, I felt it made sense. However, it would appear that not everybody would agree…
Multiple petitions have flared up left, right and centre, demanding that Pattinson hand over the keys to the Batmobile.
One Change.org petition – which has gained over 200 signatures at the time of writing – makes the following impassioned plea:
Don’t make the Batfleck mistake again. Don’t do it. For the love of all that is holy, stop trashing the DC Universe.
Another petition begs:
There’s no way Robert Pattinson should play Batman. This is a complete joke! This would be the worst casting ever for the dark knight.
As reported by Variety, Pattinson is currently in negotiations to play Bruce Wayne in Matt Reeves’ upcoming superhero movie, due to hit cinemas as of June 25, 2021.
Guys, let’s just give the man a chance before we start dissing him. Sometimes a curve-ball casting decision can be exactly what’s needed to keep an established franchise fresh.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.