Ever since Ben Affleck turned in his cape, there has only been one question in Hollywood: Who will be the next to wage eternal war on the criminals of Gotham City?
That question was solved yesterday when Warner Bros approved Robert Pattinson as the next Batman!
According to Deadline, the Twilight star beat out X-Men actor Nicholas Hoult in screen testing this week. Hoult was said to be "impressive" but Pattinson is the chosen one and negotiations are set to "get underway any moment".
What does Ben Affleck have to say about ending his reign as Batman? Let's take a look:Variety has claimed the studio confirmed Pattinson has already signed a deal.
The entertainment website broke the news earlier this month that the High Life actor was the studio's top contender for The Batman, which is expected to be released on June 25, 2021. Pre-production for the movie, directed by Matt Reeves, is expected to begin this summer.
The Batman was originally set to bring back Affleck, who would reprise the title character from 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and 2017's Justice League. He was also set to direct the superhero adventure and was co-writing the script with Geoff Johns.
However, in January it was announced the 46-year-old actor would be stepping away from the project completely.
In an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live in February, Affleck claimed he left because he "couldn't crack it".
"I tried to direct a version of it and worked with a really good screenwriter, but just couldn’t come up with a version, I couldn’t crack it," he said. "So I thought it was time to let someone else take a shot at it. They got some really good people, so I’m excited."
He also tweeted about the decision to leave the film, writing: "Excited for #TheBatman in Summer 2021 and to see @MattReevesLA vision come to life."
Congratulations, Robert! We're all excited to see what you do with the caped crusader.
