Robert Pattinson has officially been confirmed as the next Batman after months of speculation linking him with the role.

Variety had reported a number of weeks ago that director Matt Reeves had identified Pattinson as his lead for the reboot entitled The Batman. According to Collider, the choice for studio Warner Brothers was between the former Twilight star and the other frontrunner and another British actor, Nicholas Hoult, who has most recently appeared in the J.R.R. Tolkien biopic Tolkien. Pattinson takes over the keys to the Batmobile from Ben Affleck after three appearances as the Dark Knight, in Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad and Justice League. There will be slightly less pressure on Pattinson than if he had followed Christian Bale, who appeared as the superhero in Christopher Nolan's trilogy gritty of Batman films, with each of the films Affleck appeared being critical - and in some cases commercial - disappointments. After starting his career with appearances in Harry Potter and achieving mainstream fame through the Twilight series, Pattinson has eschewed anything resembling blockbusters in recent years. In 2018 he appeared in well-received sci-fi film High Life, while his appearance alongside Willem Dafoe in The Lighthouse resulted in one of the best reviewed films of 2019. The Batman will hit screens in June 2021.