PA/Warner Bros.The Batman will see the world’s favourite caped crusader return to the screen. But Robert Pattinson, who’s taking on the role, says ‘he’s not a hero’.
Following the near-disastrous flop of the DCEU, Gotham’s dark knight is set to emerge once again alongside a roster of fresh faces.
Pattinson will play the titular bat, in a return to the big-budget movie world that made him a household name in Twilight.
In his post-vampire career, Pattinson has avoided blockbusters, instead opting to refine his acting chops with indie directors – to often dazzling effect.
From David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis, to the Safdie Brothers’ Good Time, to Claire Denis’s mesmerising High Life – he’s proven his talents exceed sparkling in the (Twi)light.
Some may be sceptical of him taking on one of comicbook’s most famous characters – but if anything, he’s the perfect man for the job.
Thunderbird ReleasingIn an interview with The New York Times, Pattinson said:
Batman’s not a hero, though. He’s a complicated character. I don’t think I could ever play a real hero – there’s always got to be something a little bit wrong. I think it’s because one of my eyes is smaller than the other one.
I love the director, Matt Reeves, and it’s a dope character. His morality is a little bit off. He’s not the golden boy, unlike almost every other comic-book character. There is a simplicity to his worldview, but where it sits is strange, which allows you to have more scope with the character.
Reeves is a fantastic director – his previous works include Cloverfield and War for the Planet of the Apes.
PAHe’s an ideal choice to bring a fresh take on the dark knight – and he’s assembling an absolutely unreal cast. Big Little Lies’ Zoë Kravitz will star as Catwoman, while Paul Dano was recently announced to be playing The Riddler.
The response to Pattinson’s casting was mixed (with most ignorant people citing his Twilight days as a complaint).
Summit EntertainmentPattinson added:
Maybe I’m just used to abuse by now. At least I didn’t get death threats this time — that’s a plus! It’s funny that people are so very angry about Twilight. I never particularly understood it.
Pattinson’s next major role is beside Willem Dafoe in The Lighthouse, a dark new horror-drama-comedy from The Witch director Robert Eggers. It’s had near-unanimous praise from critics across the world – currently, it’s sitting at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Lighthouse doesn’t hit UK cinemas until January 31, 2020 – however, there a few select screenings prior to then.
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After graduating from Glasgow Caledonian University with an NCTJ and BCTJ-accredited Multimedia Journalism degree, Cameron ventured into the world of print journalism at The National, while also working as a freelance film journalist on the side, becoming an accredited Rotten Tomatoes critic in the process. He’s now left his Scottish homelands and took up residence at UNILAD as a journalist.