After months of speculation, anticipation and plenty of hype, it seems that things are finally moving forward with Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Aside from rumors and insider reports detailing the film’s suite of villains, last month, Robert Pattinson was confirmed to be taking on the role of the Caped Crusader. Needless to say, the official announcement has been met with middling reception – longtime DC devotees took to Twitter to share their reactions, which seem to be an equal mix of disappointment, skepticism and tentative faith.
For better or worse, it seems some fans are basing their feelings on Pattinson’s performance in the oft-maligned Twilight series, where he played heartthrob vampire Edward Cullen, who fell for Kristen Stewart’s Bella Swan. Personally, a few of us here at We Got This Covered aren’t too fond of that sort of comparison, especially since Robert has proven himself to be a more than capable actor, as evidenced by his roles in The Lost City of Z and the Safdie Brothers’ Good Time.
Thankfully, it seems we aren’t the only ones who are supportive of Warner Bros.’ casting decision. As reported by Heroic Hollywood, a new poll conducted by THR and Morning Consult show that, of the 2,201 adults surveyed, 42 percent in the 18-29 demo approve of Robert Pattinson, compared to the 30 percent who preferred Nicholas Hoult (reported to be the other contender for the coveted role). When honing in on those between the ages of 18 and 22, close to half of respondents sided with Pattinson.
Bekah Decker, co-founder of fanzine LettersToRob.com, explained that the actor’s appearance in the Twilight film series likely explains his higher approval rating among younger audiences.
“Twilight fans are totally on board. I think their dedication to Rob is the kind that means fans who weren’t Batman fans before are now going to devour all things Batman, in support of Rob. Bruce Wayne is dark, [Pattinson’s Twilight character] Edward [Cullen] is dark. There is a vigilante quality in Edward — more in the books — that is an obvious tie to Batman.”
That being said, based on his recent trajectory, Nicholas Hoult still has a successful career ahead of him, even if he won’t be playing the Caped Crusader anytime soon. When it comes to Pattinson’s performance though, we have a long wait to endure – The Batman is scheduled to hit theaters on June 25th, 2021 – but we’re excited to see what he brings to the table.
