Opinions have been mixed in response to the news that Robert Pattinson will be the Batman in Matt Reeves’ upcoming film adaptation of the Dark Knight, said to focus on the detective aspect of Bruce Wayne’s crime-fighting and told through a noir-driven story. While some still see him as the sparkly vampire guy from the Twilight film series, others recognize the roles Pattinson has excelled in. Those roles have earned him the respect of people who view him as a full-fledged actor.
Remember, before Pattinson was a teenage heartthrob named Edward Cullen, he was Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and considered by many to be “the next Jude Law.” But if you need proof or at least recommendations for where to start in evaluating Robert Pattinson’s acting potential, here are three films that showcase what we can expect to see in Matt Reeves’ adaptation.
Cosmopolis (2012): Riding across Manhattan in a stretch limo in order to get a haircut, a 28-year-old billionaire asset manager’s day devolves into an odyssey with a cast of characters that start to tear his world apart.
In the first 30 seconds alone of Cosmopolis’s trailer, I see our future Batman in his high tech Batmobile, with dialogue that perfectly describes what the Dark Knight does – “you acquire information and turn it into something stupendous and awful.”
Good Time (2017): After a botched bank robbery lands his younger brother in prison, Constantine Nikas embarks on a twisted odyssey through New York City’s underworld to get his brother Nick out of jail.
Pattinson is a man on a mission in Good Time, and that intensity he brings to his roles tells me he’ll be able to put on the cowl and strike fear into the hearts of criminals in The Batman.
High Life (2018): A father and his daughter struggle to survive in deep space where they live in isolation.
Judging from the trailer the plot of High Life removes any need for charm or wit in its characters, leaving Pattinson with only the need to endure and withstand the dark circumstances his character faces. Tell me that doesn’t sound like the necessary attitude of a man choosing to wage war against a criminal underworld.
For all the people who say that they can’t see him as Batman, I and others will counter by stating that is the main point. Even Batman wouldn’t want to look like he is Batman. It’s a secret identity for a reason.
Sure, he’s not the physically imposing figure a muscular Dark Knight is expected to be, but Christian Bale gave us a fortified, slim Batman. And a slim Batman is something we can expect to see as Pattinson will be portraying a younger Batman, a Batman still honing his skills as a detective. And if you think Detective Batman still needs to beef up before he interrogates the criminal underworld of Gotham City, then remember that all of these superhero actors and actresses go through intense workout regimens for months before they come on set.
We can assume that despite these points being made for “Battinson,” he will continue to face difficulty in being accepted by the masses, including mainstream non-comic fans. However, one contextually meta-point to be made is that Robert Pattinson is trying to change how he is perceived and that could carry over into his portrayal of Bruce Wayne in a positive manner. Parallel to this rich kid who has been away from home, now discovering the kind of person he wants to be, is an adult actor stepping into a mainstream character role to show us all that he’s more than just one character he played over 7 years ago.
Robert Pattinson will be The Batman in 2021. Let us know what you think – are you going to be giving Battinson a chance in theaters?
