Robert Pattinson, 33, is the Batman we deserve! Fans got another look at the Twilight actor in his brand-new batsuit, ahead of the 2021 release of The Batman! Director Matt Reeves posted three pictures to Twitter on March 4, alongside a bat and a car emoji, giving DC fanatics their first peek at the iconic Batmobile — you can see the photos here. The updated vehicle looks to be a trumped-up muscle car, quite a change from the eccentric car designs that are expected from the franchise. The new wheels also appear to be a vintage make with a classic grill similar to an old-school Chevy Camaro or a Dodge Charger, with a hatchback roof. There is also an exposed engine positioned in the back of the vehicle with three horizontal red brake lights on each side. In the snaps, Robert stands next to the car in his batsuit, and he looks every bit the part. Bring on 2021!
Fans got their first glimpse of the Twilight actor as Batman on Feb. 13, when Matt threw us all a bone by sharing Robert’s camera test video, which slowly panned over Robert in his ultra-modern suit. The actor looked ready to hit the streets of Gotham and take on the Joker as a sinister red light bathed over Robert; the mood was made even more suspenseful thanks to the foreboding background music. The fan reaction was immediate. “Robert Pattinson’s jawline was made for the batsuit. THATS IT. THAT’S THE TWEET #TheBatman,” one fan tweeted after watching the camera test, while another raved, “This looks gorgeous, loving the suit so far! Robert Pattinson is #TheBatman!”
Unlike the reaction to the batsuit, the response wasn’t exactly so positive when news broke of Robert’s unexpected casting as the new Batman in May of 2019. Fans have grown used to seeing Christian Bale and Ben Affleck assume the role of The Dark Knight in the past two decades, so it was quite a change of pace to imagine Robert, most known for his role as the heartthrob vampire Edward Cullen in Twilight, tackle such a complex anti-superhero. But as his recent roles in movies like The Lighthouse and The King prove, Robert is no longer just a dreamy bloodsucker.
Robert doesn’t mind the hate, anyways. “To be honest, [the backlash] was less vitriolic than I was expecting,” Robert also told our sister site Variety. “It’s much more fun when you’re an underdog. There’s no expectation of you.” He’s also been preparing himself for the spotlight. “Rob has been a part of huge films the likes of Harry Potter and most obviously the Twilight series and dealing with that fame and everything that came from it was a bit overwhelming. That is why it was important for him to do roles he was interested in and take a back seat to being a huge celebrity,” a source close to Robert told HollywoodLife in May 2019. We can’t wait to see him on the big screen!