The DC Universe has been as changeable as Henry Cavill’s fish-like mouth in Justice League. Just as Warner Brothers used the power of CGI to remove Cavill’s mighty moustache from the clean shaved Superman, DC have found a new sparkly substitute for the future of the DCU; Robert Pattison. Reports have confirmed that Pattison will swap Edward Cullen’s sparkly physique for Bruce Wayne’s crime-fighting Batman.

The news of Ben Affleck’s departure from the role will come as no surprise for those who watched Affleck’s now infamous promotional interview for Batman v. Superman (2016). Simon and Garfunkel’s Hello Darkness My Old Friend plays as ‘Sad Affleck’ soaks in the negative reception to the film. Though simple internet folklore, this is when I knew this Bruce Wayne’s days were numbered. I certainly knew that Zach Synder’s cinematic universe would be torn apart by focus groups and head honchos at Warner Brothers. Love it or hate it, DC’s cinematic universe has been put in the hands of very different directors. This has spawned successful franchises from the likes of Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan, and stand-alone commercial successes like Patti Jenkin’s Wonder Woman. The recent Joker film has also allowed director Todd Phillips to make his own unique vision a reality. With this recent overhaul of the DC cinematic universe, the Batmobile needs to be driven by a capable director once again. With a fresh, new canvas in hand, Warner Brothers have put their hopes in director Matt Reeves. The director has just come off the back of the recent rebooted Planet of the Apes trilogy, which has been fawned over my critics and moviegoers alike. 

We have a capable director and a fresh slate, but where does Robert Pattinson fit into this picture? Though Pattison has had his hand in the successful Twilight and Harry Potter franchise’s, he will need to shake this heart-throb persona if he wants to shine in DC’s vision for the future. Twitter momentarily went into a state of meltdown when the role was announced. Jokes were made and memes were set loose. However, I would be lying if I didn’t say that this announcement has made me even more excited for the future of the DC cinematic universe. This is because Robert Pattison has been quietly becoming one of the best actors on the scene. 

Enter, Robert Pattison. In just the last five years he has played a manipulative and sordid character who wishes to release his disabled brother from prison (Good Time, 2017), holds his own as he acts alongside Willem Dafoe in The Lighthouse (2019), and gives a convincing portrayal of a father isolated deep in space with his daughter (High Life, 2017). He has quietly been giving audiences a range of psychologically-driven characters. Coincidently, The Batman (2022) is rumoured to draw from psychological thrillers and film noir. 

We have Batman, a director, a psychologically driven Joker (2019) movie; what more do we need? Catwoman. A Catwoman that isn’t reduced to gratuitous shots of Halle Berry playing Basketball. Reportedly, this role has been filled by Zoe Kravitz. Fresh off the back of two great seasons of Big Little Lies, it will be interesting to see how Kravitz and Pattinson work together. Both actors managed to unearth themselves from the weight of young adult franchises, with Twlight and Divergent respectively. Time will only tell if Reeves can capture what audiences have been craving from a Batman/Catwoman duo. 

This duo will be supported by Paul Dano’s Riddler, who proved himself worthy of any role after starring alongside Daniel Radcliffe’s farting corpse just a few years ago. Together him, Robert Pattinson, and Zoe Kravitz will seek to save DC from the chasm of bad reception it has found itself in. Gone are the days where DC will be marred by negative Rotten Tomato scores and interest ridicule. But even then, this implies that DC needs saving in the first place. It has always evolved and moved past far worse films, like the beautiful mess that is the 1997, Batman and Robin. The comics have created iconic characters that will live on beyond this generation. Why don’t we give DC another chance, even if Edward Cullen has snagged a much-loved role? 

Here’s to the future of DC! Looking at this overview of actors, director, even genre; I am confident that the future of the DC cinematic universe will have a sparkly new beginning. Time will tell, but I’m Team Edward on this one. 

Photo Credit: Comic Book Movie