Robert Pattinson, the star of the upcoming DC movie The Batman, has tested positive for COVID-19, Vanity Fair has reported.
According to the publication, filming of the upcoming superhero movie has now been put on hold, just days after the highly anticipated comic book adaptation was set to resume work at studios just outside of London.
Warner Bros. has not specified on the health of any individual worker, sharing only the following statement:
"A member of The Batman production has tested positive for Covid-19, and is isolating in accordance with established protocols. Filming is temporarily paused."
However, Vanity Fair states that it has "confirmed through other highly placed sources that Pattinson was the individual who became sick".
The news comes two weeks after DC and Warner Bros. dropped the trailer for the upcoming Batman flick.
Check out the incredible trailer below:The trailer not only gives us an incredible glimpse of Pattinson as the World's Greatest Detective, but also confirms that Paul Dano will play the movie's lead villain, The Riddler (who was famously portrayed by Jim Carrey in Joel Schumacher's 1995 adaptation Batman Forever).
The epic trailer also introduces several other key characters, such as Jeffrey Wright's James Gordon and Zoe Kravitz's Catwoman. Andy Serkis can also be heard as Bruce Wayne's faithful servant Alfred.
Per The Verge, the movie's director, Matt Reeves, has confirmed that the movie takes place roughly two years into Wayne's career as Batman, and stressed that there are people "who are afraid of him, quite frankly."
In an interview with the AVClub, Reeves revealed why Pattinson was the perfect choice to play Batman. He said:
"I mean, the thing about Robert Pattinson is he’s an incredible actor. I feel like the work that he’s done in the last, I don't know, six years has been incredible. [...]
"And he also happens to be a tremendous, passionate sort of fan of Batman, the way that I am. And so it was an incredible thing to be able to connect with him and to share our excitement about the character and to work with him.
"I mean, you know, he looks like Batman, but more than anything, he has the soul of someone, I think, that can play a Batman."
And speaking to GQ, Pattinson spoke about the pressure of having to portray a character with such a beloved legacy, saying:
"I like that. There’s so few things in life where people passionately care about it before it’s even happened.
"You can almost feel that pushback of anticipation, and so it kind of energizes you a little bit. It’s different from when you’re doing a part and there’s a possibility that no one will even see it."
The Batman is currently scheduled to be released on October 1, 2021, but with this latest stoppage in production, this may have to be altered.
