“Holy crummy casting, Batman!” At least that’s what a lot of fanboys started saying when the news dropped that the caped crusader would be played by none other than the glittery vampire himself: Robert Pattinson. And believe me, before I started writing this article, I was one of them.
I have been a Batman fan since before I even knew who he was! Don’t believe me? Check my first-grade bed sheets. I read the comics, and I see the movies (even the bad ones), I play the games, and breathe nearly everything, Batman. So needless to say, I was incredibly nervous to hear that the next man to don the silicon cowl would be glitter face from those incredibly cheesy “Twilight” movies.
However, that was all I’ve ever truly seen him in. I didn’t know the range and scale of his acting ability. All I knew was glitter. So, maybe I was off base. I thought it would be best for me to check the pop culture pulse and find out what some of my classmates thought.
I decided to start by interviewing someone I have had many a debate with in the past: Zane Licina. Zane, a fellow senior, is in the same boat as me when it comes to Batman, he was even quoted to say, “I have been a fan throughout the entirety of my memorable existence.”
When asked about Ben Affleck’s performance, he said, “it’s almost like he was imitating Christian Bale doing Batman.” So the change in casting was a relief to Zane. He even expressed eagerness and a welcoming attitude to the new cast of the Dark Knight.
This revelation surprised me, because I was sure, as diehard of fans as we are, we would have a similar opinion on this. The teenage angst vampire does not equal Batman! But we didn’t. So this made me more intrigued and motivated to find out other students’ thoughts on the matter.
My thought was to interview someone younger next. Someone who could relate to my childish sensibilities. That person was Alex Garcia, a sophomore. Alex revealed to me that she was also another hardcore Batman fan, and a wave of relief hit me. I thought for sure she would agree with me on the casting of Pattinson. (i.e., terrible!)
Alex and I both shared a similar opinion on Ben Affleck as Batman, each of us believing he was perfect for the role and that he brought the character a new-found edge. And, predictably, she continued to agree. When asked about Robert Pattinson, she blatantly said, “he just doesn’t look like Batman to me.”
Finally! I’d met someone who shared the same opinion!
And yet my view was slowly starting to shift. Upon doing more research for this story, I found myself inching towards intrigue by the idea of Robert Pattinson as Batman. The spark to this change of heart was a trailer. The trailer was for a new movie of Pattinson’s coming to theaters in October called “The Lighthouse.” And even though, as I’ve stated, that I was not a fan of Pattinson, the trailer drew me in and ultimately pushed me over toward “the dark side.
Another interview of a fellow senior, Lane Craighead, is ultimately what sealed the deal and made me ready to give this bat-boy a chance to be a Batman.
As Lane put it, “I’m fine with it…I don’t know his range. So I couldn’t make a judgment on if he can shed his shiny vampire skin.” And he is 100% correct. Neither he nor I know the full extent of Robert Pattinson’s range to make a judgment on whether or not he can bring something new to the character that we have not seen before.
What is considered one of the greatest Batman films of all time, Tim Burton’s “Batman,” went through something similar. It cast Michael Keaton as the titular character, who back then was only known for his comedic roles (Beetlejuice, Night Shift, Mr. Mom). There was hate, mail telling him to quit, vetoes, everything. And I loved that movie. Still do.
With all the opinions and views I gathered, after a very arduous and long consideration, I believe in Robert Pattinson. I think he has as good a chance as anybody to play Batman. I will still feel it, all the way until I walk into the theater in 2021, buy my ticket to “The Batman,” sit in my seat with my large Diet Pepsi and bag of Airheads Extreme Bites, and watch.
