Long-time Batman film producer Michael E. Uslan urges everyone to reserve their judgement on Robert Pattinson’s casting as the next Bruce Wayne. In light of Ben Affleck’s departure from the role after doing just two films, Warner Bros. went back on the hunt for a new actor to take over the titular role in the upcoming Matt Reeves’ standalone film, The Batman. Following months of speculation, the studio officially announced Robert Pattinson to have nabbed the part, besting Nicholas Hoult to become the next Caped Crusader.

Plot specifics for The Batman are still tightly kept under wraps. The project was initially going to center around the DCEU’s version of the character with Affleck supposedly starring, directing and writing. When he stepped down away from the responsibilities behind the camera to focus on his performance, Reeves came in to fill the spot that he left. However, since Affleck’s exit from the franchise, the movie has also evolved into something different from what it was originally going to be. For starters, the narrative will put the spotlight on a young Wayne - which is the traditional Batman story fans have seen on the big screen. This led to Pattinson nabbing the role. As expected, not everyone was welcoming of this development but a veteran Batman film producer asks everyone to wait for the film pass their judgement.

Speaking at Germany’s CCXP Cologne event (via ComicBook), Uslan makes a good case why people need to give Pattinson and Reeves’ The Batman a chance. He explains that it’s best to welcome this type of high-profile casting with an open mind. Once the movie hits theaters, only then should the public make up their minds regarding to how good (or bad) the filmmakers’ approach.

Uslan knows what he’s talking about. He and Benjamin Melniker have served as an executive producer of all the modern Batman films to date - from Tim Burton’s 1989 iteration starring Michael Keaton to Zack Snyder’s Justice League with Affleck. Listing down all the big screen treatment for the Caped Crusader over the years, the producer pointed out how fans were typically against the casting of past actors as Batman, and eventually loving them in the role.

“The star of the Batman movies is Bruce Wayne. Batman is the star. Batman is who everyone wants to see, along with the supervillains, so how does a filmmaker make the choice of which actor to cast? And I think the real key question for fans, and for all of us to focus on, is the filmmaker.

“My position is this: trust the filmmaker and give the filmmaker, and the filmmaker’s vision, the benefit of the doubt. Then wait ’til you see the movie.

“And then once you see the movie, judge the hell out of it. But I think that’s really the formula going forward. I couldn’t be happier, I couldn’t be more enthused, as a Batman fan, that Matt Reeves is the filmmaker in charge and has selected Robert Pattinson to be his next Batman.”

When news first broke out that Warner Bros. and Reeves were considering Pattinson for the role, there was skepticism about whether or not this is the best choice for The Batman. Pattinson is mostly known for starring in the five-film Twilight series based on Stephanie Meyer’s romance fantasy novels - playing Edward Cullen opposite Kristen Stewart’s Bella Swan. And while the franchise pocketed money at the global box office, it was critically-panned. Since then, Pattinson has been beefing up his acting portfolio with good performances with smaller but better-reviewed projects such as Good Time and The Lost City of Z. 

“So we’ve seen the genius of Tim Burton, we have seen the genius of Christopher Nolan. The question becomes: is there a filmmaker who you see has a knowledge of a character, has an understanding of a character, a passion and a love for the character? Does that filmmaker have a vision for the character? And if so, does he or she, do you believe, know how to execute that vision? And if you can answer those questions successfully, then for me, my role is to become the world’s number one cheerleader. And you have to trust in your filmmakers.”

At this point, the initial wave of doubt about Pattinson being the next Batman has somewhat died down. People are learning more about the actor’s fantastic résumé, giving them hope that just like most of his predecessors, he’s going to ace the gig. No material from the movie has been released with production tipped to begin sometime at the end of the year, but it does help knowing that he has the acting range outside of what the public saw in the Twilight series.

More: Every Batman Movie, Ranked By Rotten Tomatoes Score

Source: ComicBook

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