The Batman’s Robert Pattinson Reveals His Comic Book Research

Robert Pattinson in a suit and tie

CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn commission when you click on or make purchases via links

It's no secret that comic book movies are everywhere. And as such, plenty of actors have donned costumes and gotten involved in the genre. DC's Batman has already had a long life on the screen, but the Dark Knight will be adapted again for Matt Reeves' The Batman. The long-gestating movie will star Robert Pattinson as the new Bruce Wayne, taking on the mantle from Ben Affleck. And it looks like he's been doing plenty of research for the role.

Robert Pattinson might be known largely for the Twilight and Harry Potter franchises, but he's also had a long career with interesting indie projects. The Lighthouse actor will dive back into the world of big blockbusters with The Batman, tasked with bringing a new version of the beloved DC hero to life. He's seemingly taking the responsibility seriously, recently speaking to his process of research with the comics. As he put it:

I'm glad I've had quite a lot of time. I didn't realize there were so many Batman comics. Hundreds and thousands. But I've been reading a lot of those, and not really just the kind of classics. I just like reading the sort of individual periodicals. It's nice to kind of see the absolutely contemporary ones.

It looks like Robert Pattinson is getting a wide exposure to Batman's life on the page. Because in addition to reading the classics, he's also sinking his teeth into the character's most recent, contemporary adventures.

Robert Pattinson's comments to Variety are sure to excite the hardcore comic book fans out there. While the superhero genre is massive, fans of the comics usually take special care to watch each new blockbuster, and see how closely it was adapted from the page. Actors are expected to do their due diligence to get background on their characters, with stars like Brie Larson showing off their research process ahead of filming.

Related: Yes, The Batman’s Robert Pattinson Is Psyched About Zoe Kravitz As Catwoman

The future Bruce Wayne actor seems happy to have so much time ahead of filming. This allows him to read up on the comics, which something you can do by getting your hand on the pages, available here.

It's currently unclear exactly which comic book plots will factor into Matt Reeves' The Batman. The movie sat in development hell for a number of years, and the story is a total mystery. But the cast and crew is coming together, and it looks like the blockbuster will contain a variety of villains from Batman's rogue gallery. It should be interesting to see if the movie addresses Ben Affleck's tenure in the character, and how it connects to the larger DC Extended Universe.

The Batman is currently set to arrive in theaters on June 25th, 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.