The Batman: Matt Reeves Addresses Robert Pattinson's Casting

Long before Robert Pattinson signed on the dotted line to star as Bruce Wayne in The Batman, the internet lit up like a Christmas tree with hot takes on the news. Now, director Matt Reeves has broken his silence on the Battinson hullabaloo. 

Taking to Twitter on Monday, June 3, Reeves addressed Pattinson's casting in The Batman. He posted a GIF of Pattinson as Constantine "Connie" Nikas in the criminally underrated drama film Good Time, and added three bat emojis in the caption. 

While studio Warner Bros. hasn't released an official statement about Pattinson's involvement as of this writing, Reeves' tweet basically seals the deal. It's also simple but effective — and pretty darn funny, if you ask us. The GIF and caption combination gets the message across perfectly: Pattinson is the new Bruce Wayne, and Reeves thinks The Batman will be a good time. (Get it?)

In not overtly praising Pattinson, the filmmaker didn't stoke the fires burning on the side of social media that wants to vilify Pattinson and slam him as a terrible choice to succeed Ben Affleck as Batman on the basis that he starred in the Twilight movies the better part of a decade ago. Reeves did just enough to let his thoughts be heard without making the situation even more divisive than it already is. 

When Pattinson's name first sprang up in connection with The Batman, thousands of people hopped on Twitter to shout into the social media sphere about what they thought of the English actor portraying Bruce Wayne. Many shared that they absolutely hate the idea, while some were conflicted by the whole notion — like film critic Mike McGranaghan, who tweeted, "I honestly don't know how to feel about Robert Pattinson as Batman. On one hand, I hate the idea, because I can't even remotely picture him as the Dark Knight. On the other hand, I absolutely love the idea for the exact same reason."

Others held nothing back in denouncing Pattinson as a poor pick for Batman. 

"I've never been so disappointed in a #Batman casting, #RobertPattinson is a horrible choice to play the character," one user wrote. Another tweeted that they can't imagine Pattinson playing Batman, and that he is a "bad choice" for the famed hero. Someone else directly called out Reeves and criticized him for casting Pattinson as the new Dark Knight. "[I've] loved batman films since being a child and you've completely ruined it for me and hundreds of thousands of others by casting Robert Pattinson as batman, you should check the comment sections on pages which have shared this news, bad move," they wrote, tagging Reeves' Twitter account. 

While those individuals were huffing and puffing over the Battinson news, others were firing shots at the naysayers and defending Warner Bros. and Reeves' decision to cast Pattinson as Batman. An argument many repeated in their pro-Pattinson tweets involved Heath Ledger's casting as the Joker. When Ledger was confirmed for the Joker, plenty didn't like the thought of the actor entering the DC movie world to play the infamous villain — for the sole reason that he had made a name for himself with light-hearted movies like 10 Things I Hate About You. As we all know, Ledger proved everyone wrong — and his take on the Joker is now a favorite amongst fans. Many believe the same thing could end up happening with Pattinson and his performance as Batman. 

Like artist Jen Bartel said, "Robert Pattinson hasn't been Edward Cullen since 2012. Heath Ledger was known for playing teenage heartthrobs in movies like 10 Things I Hate About You and A Knight's Tale before he went on to play what is widely considered the most terrifying version of The Joker. Grow up."

Another Twitter user agreed: "Ay if you base Robert Pattinson's skills as an actor solely on his work in the Twilight Saga, you're more dense than my ex. He is absolutely phenomenal in 'Good Time' and has all the potential to exceed in his upcoming role(s). I hate DC but I'd give this a try in a heartbeat."

Some may still be unsure of Pattinson's ability to knock the dang thing out of the park when he dons the cape and cowl in The Batman, but there several reasons why he's actually a flawless fit for the role — more so than any of the dozen or so other actors once rumored to be in consideration. He's got the acting chops, the brooding nature required to play a billionaire orphan, the experience portraying a character with connections to bats (hello, vampire Edward Cullen), and, as Willem Dafoe astutely pointed out, the strong chin needed to embody Bruce Wayne. 

The Batman is scheduled to fly into theaters on June 25, 2021. Then, the world can decide whether Battinson is better or worse than Battfleck.