The Batman Director Matt Reeves Responds to Robert Pattinson Casting Backlash

We’re gradually getting closer to the release of The Batman, Matt Reeves’ highly-anticipated take on the world of DC’s Dark Knight. At the center of the live-action blockbuster is Robert Pattinson, who will star as the film’s incarnation of Bruce Wayne / Batman. Given that Pattinson is best known for his rather specific genre roles in franchises such as Harry Potter and Twilight, the idea of him being cast as Reeves’ Batman was met with a wide array of responses — including a small segment of backlash. In a recent interview with Esquire, Reeves addressed that backlash to Pattinson’s casting, and argued that it was ultimately misplaced, when you look at the actor’s larger career.

“There has been no actor, when his announcement that he was going to be playing Batman in one of the feature films was announced, that has not received a backlash,” Reeves explained. “The people who were excited, I knew it was because they knew Rob’s work post-Twilight. The people who weren’t excited, I knew it was because they didn’t know Rob’s work post-Twilight.”

Pattinson, meanwhile, had a wildly different outlook on the backlash that ensued, revealing that he thought it was “less vitriolic” than he’d been anticipating.

“To be honest, it was less vitriolic than I was expecting,” Pattinson revealed in a 2019 interview with Variety. “It’s much more fun when you’re an underdog. There’s no expectation of you.”

Reeves also spoke about Pattinson’s personal investment in the project, and how quickly he realized that the actor was a “massive fan” of the DC mythos.

“He’d heard that we were doing this and got excited about the idea that there was going to be another version of this character,” Reeves revealed. “And so when I met him, and he read the script, we talked for a long, long time and I realised, ‘This guy is a massive fan’.”

The Batman will see Pattinson bringing about an entirely new take on the character, with a cast that also includes Colin Farrell as The Penguin, Paul Dano as The Riddler, Kravitz as Catwoman, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Peter Sarsgaard as Gil Colson, Jayme Lawson as Bella Real, Barry Keoghan as Officer Stanley Merkel, and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth.

Are you excited for The Batman? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

The Batman is currently set to be released in theaters on Friday, March 4th.