If all goes well, Robert Pattinson will be taking up residence in Gotham.
A rep for Warner Bros. confirmed to CNN on Friday that the actor is in negotiations to play “The Batman” in the studio’s forthcoming superhero film that Matt Reeves is set to direct.
Warner Bros. is owned by CNN’s parent company, WarnerMedia.
Earlier reports that Pattinson and “Tolkien” star Nicholas Hoult were the front-runners for the role had some observers skeptical that the “Twilight” actor was a good fit as the Caped Crusader.
Robert Pattinson ‘Batman’ report is a dark night for some
Petitions were launched calling for Pattinson to be replaced before he had even been officially cast.
“Don’t make the Batfleck mistake again,” one petition implored.
That, of course, refers to the controversy behind Ben Affleck taking over the role in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” “Suicide Squad” and “Justice League” – a selection that did not go over well with some DC Comics devotees.
But there was also plenty of support for Pattinson, with some pointing out similar hoopla early on surrounded Heath Ledger’s selection as the Joker in “The Dark Knight.”
That performance earned Ledger, who died in 2008 from an accidental overdose, a posthumous Oscar for best supporting actor.
CNN has reached out to reps for Pattinson for comment.
