Robert Pattinson Defends All Batman Movies (Including Batman & Robin)

Robert Pattinson is showing his support for all the Batman movies that came before his, declaring that none of them are bad, actually. Though the character of Bruce Wayne has been brought to the big screen numerous times over the years, one of the most anticipated movies of 2022 is The Batman, indicating there is no franchise fatigue here. Directed by Matt Reeves, The Batman stars Pattinson as a Bruce in his second year of being Gotham’s vigilante, just as he finds himself facing a new challenge in the form of a serial killing Riddler (Paul Dano).

The new film is only the latest in a long line of Batman-centric movies. The character has been depicted in film ever since 1943, when he was the lead in a serial film from Columbia Pictures. In terms of the more modern day Batman movies, Bruce Wayne has been played by Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, and Ben Affleck. Unsurprisingly, fans have their opinions about which ones were the best and which ones (often Clooney’s) end up at the bottom of the list. And yet, it’s the latest addition to this ever-growing list who has a fondness for everything that came before him.

Speaking to Total Film (via GamesRadar+) for a new feature on The Batman, Pattinson opened up about his long-standing affection for the DC character. He revealed he’s seen every Batman movie in the theater (presumably from 1989’s Batman and beyond), and he feels that none of them are truly bad. Yes, that even seems to include Batman & Robin. Pattinson said:

“Out of all the comic-book characters and that kind of movie, I’ve seen every single one of the [Batman] movies in the cinema, which I can’t really say I’ve done for any other series. I was always really looking forward to them coming out. There was the combination of just being so attracted to it, but also feeling like it’d had a lot of movies made about it, and none of them are bad movies. People kind of shit on some of them, but they’re not actually bad. They all kind of completely achieve what they set out to achieve, and they’re all really interesting, according to their time and place. I don’t know. I just had a weird instinct about it. But I’ve always loved the character.”

As often happens with any long-running franchise, the Batman series has its ups and downs, and there are even some truly dedicated fans who might be hard pressed to support every installment. That Pattinson can find something of worth in each one and recognize what they set out to do is a special thing. It also shows that Pattinson’s understanding of the character goes deeper than what some people might’ve assumed when he was first cast. There was some backlash when Pattinson joined The Batman, but all he’s done since then is proven that he is an excellent pick for the role.

With The Batman steadily drawing closer, the question on fans’ minds will revolve around where it falls on the character’s overall ranking. The early hype would have many believe it’ll be among the best, but Batman fans can be shrewd in their opinions. Even if it turns out to be unlike what they were expecting, hopefully those who might come away from The Batman disliking it can adopt Pattinson’s mindset of appreciating what it does anyway. It’s a pretty great way of approaching movies, and it might just be what audiences these days need.