The new Batman is already flaunting his dedication to the DC Extended Universe’s cause.
Robert Pattinson has reportedly dropped out from his role in the sequel to this year’s highly-acclaimed The Souvenir.
Directed by Joanna Hogg, the drama film had earned numerous critical plaudits upon release during its festival-run, even winning the Grand Jury prize at the Sundance Festival and sending shockwaves through the British independent movie industry.
Shooting for the recently-commissioned sequel would’ve required Pattinson to take a break from the rigors he’d have to endure during his schedule for The Batman, which is slated to begin principal photography in 2019 itself.
With Dawn of the Planet of the Apes director Matt Reeves at the helm, The Batman has been given a tentative release date of June 25, 2021, and will be the probable flagship of a refurbished DCEU that is set to take the mantle of center-stage this coming October with Joaquin Phoenix playing the Joker in his eponymous origin-story film.
Details about the plot of the Caped Crusader’s 2021 outing remain a mystery at this point, though the character will undoubtedly derive inspiration and borrow cues from comic storylines with an entirely different tone to the ones that had been the source material for the recent films in which Ben Affleck appeared as Batman. With the Year One story arc mentioned as a possible candidate given DC’s intention to feature Pattinson as a young Bruce Wayne learning the ropes of crime-fighting in Gotham.
But The Batman wasn’t the only thing that played a part in Pattinson’s decision to drop out from The Souvenir Part II.
The actor is also part of Christopher Nolan’s upcoming thriller Tenet, which will continue principal photography throughout the summer and is set to release in July 2020, and will also feature Bollywood veteran, Dimple Kapadia.