Fans got a big surprise at one screening of The Batman on Friday night – star Robert Pattinson! Pattinson went to the TCL Chinese Theatres in Los Angeles, California to introduce The Batman in the flesh. Posts on social media show Pattinson smiling and speaking to fans ahead of the new movie.
Pattinson is the latest high profile actor to play the Dark Knight, and he has gone all out to promote the show. The Chinese Theatres posted phtoos of him on Twitter where he stood in front of the screen with a microphone to give an introduction to the new movie. Attendees posted their own pictures of Pattinson greeting them before or after the event. The Batman premiered on Friday, and so far the reviews have been generally positive.
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The Batman is the latest take on DC Comics’ Caped Crusader, starring Pattinson in the titular role along with Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as The Riddler, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Peter Sarsgaard as Gil Colson, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth and Colin Farrell as The Penguin. It comes from director Matt Reeves, who co-wrote the script with Peter Craig.
The Batman is technically a “reboot” of the Batman film franchise, though at this point DC Comics seems to be moving away from continuity-based films and more towards eclectic alternate universes. It is not connected to the “DCEU” – the timeline that spans Man of Steel, Wonder Woman, Justice League, Shazam and so on. However, there are still movies within the DCEU in the upcoming film slate, so the plans for that timeline are unclear.
For many fans, Pattinson does not match the criteria they’ve come to expect in a blockbuster superhero action film, and some doubt that he’d be willing to carry on with a franchise like the DCEU. The actor has avoided massive franchises since the early days of his career when he starred in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire followed by the Twilight Saga.
Pattinson is also known for his unique approach to publicity and press, where he is sometimes awkward in interviews or press appearances. That’s another reason his appearance at the theater on Friday was a surprise to so many. He has been generally positive about his experience on The Batman so far. The Batman is in theaters now, and there are two sequels as well as a streaming series spinoff in the works.
