Why Robert Pattinson Could Be DC’s Best Batman

On Thursday night, the news surfaced online that Robert Pattinson, best known for playing Edward Cullen in The Twilight Saga, is in negotiations to replace Ben Affleck as Batman for Warner Bros. and DC. Unsurprisingly, this choice was met with plenty of criticism on social media, so much so that fans have started a petition (yes, another one) demanding that WB recast the role. However, you may have noticed that many are actually jumping to defend the casting, praising the idea of Pattinson in a cowl. Well, I’m here to tell you that they’re absolutely right, and I’m going to take things even further. Robert Pattinson has the potential to be the best Batman/Bruce Wayne we’ve ever seen on film.

If you’ve only seen Robert Pattinson in Twilight, I completely understand being frustrated about this casting. It’s a bad series of films, and they don’t do much to make Pattinson look like the hero Gotham City needs. But it’s been seven years since the last of those movies arrived in theaters, and Pattinson has done more than enough in that time to prove he’s capable of taking on the Dark Knight.

Plain and simple? Pattinson is a very good actor. It’s not enough to make someone a perfect choice to play Batman, but it’s definitely a start. His entire body of work speaks for itself, but there are a couple in particular that really highlight Pattinson’s uncanny ability to be brooding, suave, angry, driven, and just downright terrifying. Films like High Life, The Rover, and Cosmopolis all bring his talents to the forefront, and they should all be considered required viewing when considering if Pattinson can pull off this role.

If you’re really on the fence about Pattinson, though, Good Time is the one movie you need to watch, and it’s currently streaming on Amazon Prime. This movie is emotionally brutal, and not at all for the faint of heart, but is showcases just how wide Pattinson’s range really is. His character can be truly calculated and cunning, even when it seems things are spiraling out of control, which is a very Batman quality to have. He’s also great at getting right up in someone’s face, gritting his teeth, and making them feel as though he is the most dangerous person on the planet. Another quality you’d prefer to have in Batman.

Take the scene below, for example. Pattinson’s confidence when confronting his brother’s therapist is exceptional, and the stare he delivers when walking down the hall is spot-on Batman. Put a cowl on him right then and there, and he’s ready to go.

OK, so, we’ve established that Pattinson’s talent shouldn’t be in question, and it’s more than enough to hold his own alongside the likes of Michael Keaton, Christian Bale, or Ben Affleck. But there is more than just that one aspect that factors into my claim that this guy could be the best Batman. For one thing, the dude is going into this movie with a visionary filmmaker guiding him in the form of Matt Reeves. Christopher Nolan is easily the most talented director to take charge of Batman so far, but we knew going in that he and Bale were only going to make a trilogy. Pattinson has the opportunity to not only learn from and work with an incredible director, but continue on to lead a major franchise for years to come.

That brings me to my next, and possibly most important point. Being a “good Batman” isn’t just about what you do on the screen. Let’s take Ben Affleck as an example. In Batman v Superman, Affleck proved that he’s a great Bruce Wayne/Batman when the camera is pointed at him. I truly thought he was phenomenal in the role, even though I had some issues with the movie itself. Now, take a look at what happened after that movie was torn to shreds by most critics and at least half of the fanbase. Affleck seemed to immediately resent the role, and it showed. At San Diego Comic-Con 2017, he was totally checked out, especially compared to the rest of his co-stars. That carried over into Justice League later that year, where he looked bored out of his mind for most of the movie. It was like he was fed up with Batman because of how he was treated since taking the role, and who can blame him? The dude was basically abused online for months.

Pattinson will likely go through some similar situations, because sadly it comes with the territory of taking on these roles. Some part of the Internet will find a way to attack you for whatever reason they can find. It’s toxic and unhealthy, but it’s a part of the reality we exist in. While Affleck had received significant criticism over the years, he had never been under such a microscope, especially not in the age of social media; Robert Pattinson has.

Thanks to Twilight, Pattinson has been through the social media circus, experiencing both the insane excitement of the die-hard fans, and the dark and hateful attacks from the trolls. He was at the front of the most talked-about franchise in the entire world at one point, giving up multiple personal freedoms to play a shiny vampire. And you know what? He came out better on the other side.

Robert Pattinson looked like he had it all, only to seemingly disappear into the night. But while many might have thought he was gone, he was training in the shadows, honing his craft with some of the best teachers possible. Now, with more talent and experience than he knows what to do with, he’s ready to take on the world once again, and earn back the respect he’s always deserved. Sound familiar?