Why Robert Pattinson's Bruce Wayne Has The Batman Fans So Divided

Matt Reeves' "The Batman" is currently batarang-ing its way through theaters across the globe, holding steady at an 86% Tomatometer rating and 89% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes while also raking in boatloads of money at the box office (via Box Office Mojo). But there's been one big "Batman" critique that's been dividing fans as of late, and it involves the film's titular star, Robert Pattinson.

You see, not everyone is happy with Pattinson's performance as Gotham's famous billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne. As for his young and budding version of the Dark Knight, folks think the former "Twilight" actor is fine and dandy, but when it comes to playing the man behind the mask, who is supposed to keep up the rich boy façade, fans and critics are ultimately torn.

"[Pattinson] was a decent Batman ... horrible Bruce Wayne," blasted former NFL player Darius Butler during a recent segment on Sirius XM's The Pat McAfee Show. For many fans and filmgoers — most of whom aren't die-hard comic book readers, admittingly — this was the main letdown of the movie. Below we discuss some of the reasons specifically why people have been so divided over Pattinson's Bruce Wayne portrayal.

When Robert Pattinson first got offered to play DC's caped crusader in "The Batman," one of the things that immediately drew him to the Matt Reeves-helmed project was the prospect of playing a different type of Bruce Wayne, one who was more of an emotional recluse rather than a flamboyant playboy (via EW). Now, it's become one of the film's biggest critiques.

"Pattinson's Bruce Wayne is too emo," wrote Twitter user @WrathOfJoe. "Emo Bruce Wayne ain't it," said @xericjames. "Pattinson never really gets to give much depth to his Bruce Wayne, though he's compelling when it comes to the physicality of Batman himself," added film journalist Tom Beasley. Some Twitter users feel that despite "The Batman" taking place in Year 2 for the character, the playboy persona should've been intact from the get-go to draw attention away from Bruce's being Gotham's masked vigilante. "It should have been there from day one," tweeted one fan. "There is a reason for secret identities."

In previous iterations of the Batman character, specifically in film, Bruce's playboy persona was almost always heightened or used purposely in a way to either push the hero's story forward, evolve his gadgets, or help out others in some major way. For the DC Extended Universe's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Justice League," it was Ben Affleck's Bruce gaining access to high-profile events and even buying an entire bank at one point to save Clark Kent's, aka Superman (Henry Cavill), family farm. Christian Bale's Bruce also did similar things and went so far as being an unabashed philanderer. But Pattinson doesn't even come close to reaching that level in "The Batman," and below we have some fan chatter — and ideas from the actor himself — as to why some people think it works so wonderfully.

According to "Batman" fans and even Robert Pattinson himself, it makes sense for Matt Reeves' version of Bruce Wayne to be less of a playboy and more of an introvert, especially when looking at the entire scope of Reeves' Year 2 world-building. Not only is this Bruce young and still grieving over his parents' death, but as we see throughout "The Batman," the character is also learning new and dark things about his lineage and family's past.

"It made more sense with the grieving process as well if he hasn't gotten over being the 10-year-old boy who, in his mind, let his parents die," Pattinson told EW. "What he feels is himself, he thinks is an incredibly weak and vulnerable child, and he needs to have an entirely different alter ego to survive himself, let alone fight all the criminals of Gotham."

As noted by Pattinson, Redditors in a recent "Batman" discussion thread point out that a deep and uber-emotional Bruce was ultimately needed because the character is still learning how to balance the weight of his parents' death with being Gotham's Dark Knight and most famous billionaire bachelor, the latter of which he still hasn't come to terms with. "He's completely absorbed by the Bat persona," explained u/ajmurph04. "His social skills suffer as a result and he's completely engulfed in his life as the Batman. There almost is no Bruce Wayne. Only the Batman." Redditor u/MagmaAscending added, "This is, in my opinion, a perfect direction to take Year Two Bruce. He's still figuring things out."