Summary
The Batmanwas a massive theatrical success and brought a stunning new take on the Dark Knight with Robert Pattinson beneath the cowl, and now the man himself is highlighting one side effect of taking on the iconic role so proficiently.
The Batmanwas initially a troubled proposition, as the DCEU hadn’t had the best run with fans and the casting of leading man Robert Pattinson was viewed as a strange choice by filmmaker Matt Reeves. Despite all this, the film was a massive success and fans were delighted to learn that it was only the first in a planned trilogy of films, albeit outside the purview of the incoming DC Studios reboot being spearheaded by James Gunn and Peter Safran. While the filmdidn’t bother with the Dark Knight’s superhero origins in modern fashion, Pattinson’s Batman still got a lot of really compelling build in the film, turning an embattled casting decision into one of the biggest career turns the industry has seen in a while.
The Batmansequel is starting filming sooner than fans may think, and the franchise’s leading man is starting to see a flood of new fans from that film’s success. In an exchange with Associated Press journalist Sian Watson at the premiere of his upcoming filmMickey 17that’s available as a clip on herInstagrampage, Pattinson came face to face with the fruits of his labor as the Dark Knight in the form of a demographic switch in his fanbase. “It’s quite strange,” Pattinson said, noting the massive number of male fans at the event in support of him at the premiere of his newest film. “There’s like a bunch of guys, which is a new one for me!” This is a clear contrast to the fanbase he amassed in his early 20s while headlining the Twilight films, which attracted a primarily female fanbase due to the nature of the film.
Pattinson has been judged negatively in the past for his part in theTwilightfranchise, evidently by male viewers who didn’t appreciate the film’s approach to the supernatural. “I love that people keep telling me, ‘Man, ‘Twilight’ ruined the vampire genre,’” Pattinson said in a recent interview. “Are you still stuck on that s***? How can you be sad about something that happened almost 20 years ago? It’s crazy.” The amount of hate and criticism that Pattinson received during and after his time in theTwilightfranchise is legendary and has even beenused as a benchmark byStar Warsactor John Boyega to frame his own storm of criticism. This criticism was still very present when Pattinson was cast as Batman, and the current outpouring of male support is a major turnaround for the star in the public eye. It’s also worth considering the nature of the project the fans came out to support, as a science fiction comedy likeMickey 17is another genre of film that would encourage male fans to get excited.
Pattingson’s skewed fan demographics will It’ll be a long time before the next installment in the planned trilogy from Reeves, but fans need not despair.The Batmansequel’s long wait may be hiding a welcome surpriseso that fans might be better served with the current far-off date than otherwise, especially with James Gunn’s DCU also inevitably developing its own take on Batman. In the meantime, the success ofThe Penguinis likely a green light for other projects in the same vein.
The Batmanis available to stream on Max, with the currently untitled sequel set for theatrical release on Jun 18, 2025.
The Batman
Directed by the visionary Matt Reeves, Robert Pattinson plays a dark, gritty and tormented caped crusader, looking to save his home from the corruption that eats at it, and the criminals looking to destroy it. With a stellar cast of Andy Serkis, Zoe Kravitz, Collin Farrell and Jeffrey Wright, The Batman takes a new approach to Gotham’s protector, one not seen since the Nolan trilogy.
