In 2005, Christopher Nolan kicked off his Dark Knight trilogy with Batman Begins, starring Christian Bale as the Caped Crusader. Now, it's Nolan's Tenet star Robert Pattinson who took on the bat's mantle in Matt Reeves' upcoming The Batman --and Nolan approves.
Nolan told ET, "having worked with Rob, I can say with total confidence that he can do absolutely anything he sets his mind to." He added, "And I could not be more excited to see what he does with Batman."
The acclaimed director also said new blood was necessary for Batman mythos to thrive. "One of the first things I learned when we went to talk to the DC guys before Batman Begins," Nolan told ET, "is the character of Batman thrives on reinterpretation." He continued, "Each generation creates its own version, that's what keeps the legend so sort of fresh in a way."
Christopher Nolan isn't the only Dark Knight alum to throw support towards Pattinson. When the casting was first announced, Christian Bale gave his approval to the new Batman. Bale told ET last September, "All the best to him! I think he's an absolutely fantastic actor. Wonderful choice for Batman!"
DC fans finally got their first glimpse at Matt Reeves' vision for the Dark Knight mythos during DC FanDome. The trailer showed off Pattinson in his Batman outfit, fighting Catwoman and talking to GCPD officers. It also gave fans their first view of Collin Farrell's Penguin and Paul Dano's Riddler. According to Jeffrey Wright, who plays Jim Gordon in the film, The Batman aims to lean into the Dark Knight's title as the "World's Greatest Detective."
Before Pattinson's Batman takes over, Ben Affleck will reprise his role as the Dark Knight in the upcoming HBO Max film, Zack Snyder's Justice League. Affleck will don the cape and cowl once more after that in Andy Muschietti's The Flash in 2021.
The Batman is directed by Matt Reeves and co-written by Reeves and Mattson Tomlin. The film stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin, Paul Dano as Edward Nashton/The Riddler, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone and Peter Sarsgaard as District Attorney Gil Colson. The Batman is set to be released in theaters on Oct. 1, 2021.