17 May – Robert Pattinson has a thing for creatures of the night, it seems, or at least for being cast as characters related to them. Having starred as a sparkling vampire in the "Twilight" franchise, the 33-year-old has now been cast to lead a bat-themed superhero franchise.
He will be taking over the role from Ben Affleck, who's portrayed the superhero a total of three times ("Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice", "Suicide Squad", "Justice League"). Affleck was supposed to have starred and directed in the Batman solo vehicle too, but things didn't pan out and now Matt Reeves will be the one directing Pattinson in his Batman role. Reportedly, Pattinson hasn't sealed the deal but is expected to shortly. Once the movie has a star, "The Batman" can begin its pre-production this summer for release in North American cinemas on 25 June 2021.