Naturally the internet went into a frenzy when news revealed on May 16 that Robert Pattinson would (reportedly) take over the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman in the new Batman film being directed by Matt Reeves. Reeves’ “Batman” already has a June 25, 2021 release date with the movie going into pre-production this summer.

Pattinson’s casting sparked backlash from fans of Batman and the DC Extended Universe who don’t think casting one of the leads from the ‘Twilight’ movies is a smart idea. He will take over the role from Ben Affleck, who portrayed the character in three of the DCEU films. He was suppose to direct and star in the upcoming The Batman before pulling out of the project entirely.

Pattinson would be joining the list of actors who have portrayed the Dark Knight on the big screen including Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, and Ben Affleck. Affleck’s casting as Batman triggered a similar backlash when it was announced that he would be Batman in the 2016 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice film. He will be the second-youngest actor to play Batman on the big screen after Christian Bale, who was 31 at the time of Batman Beyond, while Pattinson is 33.

The actor has had a pretty bad rap since his breakout role in the 2008 Twilight and its sequels. But over the last several years Pattinson has really come into his own as an actor, further defining his abilities and diversity of roles including David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis (2012), Anton Corbijn’s Life (2015), Claire Denise’s High Life (2018), and Benny and Josh Safdie’s Good Time (2017).