Is Robert Pattinson the Youngest Actor to Play Batman?
At this point, Batman has appeared in so many movies that audiences are likely getting tired of seeing Bruce Wayne’s tragic origin story. But nevertheless, writer-director Matt Reeves brought audiences The Batman in 2022. This time around, Robert Pattinson played the DC superhero. But is he the youngest actor to star in a Batman movie?
Robert Pattinson is among the youngest actors to play Bruce Wayne on film
Almost every single time Bruce Wayne pops into movie theaters, the actor playing him is in his mid-to-late 30s. Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, and George Clooney — who each played the role in the 1990s — were all between 35 and 37 when they made their Dark Knight debut. Even 1960s Batman star Adam West was in his late 30s.
Likewise, Pattinson was 35 by the time The Batman hit theaters in March 2022. The actor probably feels younger to fans because he spent years playing an undead teen in the Twilight movies. But he is not even close to being the youngest star to debut his version of Bruce Wayne.
That honor falls to Christian Bale, who was only 31 when he starred in 2005’s Batman Begins. Ironically, the Christopher Nolan movie depicts Bruce Wayne’s initial year in the superhero game. Meanwhile, The Batman — which is disconnected from all previous versions — follows Pattinson as a fully formed hero, albeit still early on in his crime-fighting career.
| Actor | Movie | Age at Release |
|---|---|---|
| Adam West | Batman (1966) | 37 |
| Michael Keaton | Batman (1989) | 37 |
| Val Kilmer | Batman Forever (1995) | 35 |
| George Clooney | Batman & Robin (1997) | 36 |
| Christian Bale | Batman Begins (2005) | 31 |
| Ben Affleck | Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) | 44 |
| Robert Pattinson | The Batman (2022) | 35 |
Robert Pattinson movies have come a long way since ‘Twilight’
As has become customary with new Batman actors, fans were initially skeptical about Pattinson’s fit for the role. But the footage revealed as 2020’s DC FanDome event helped assuage concerned fans. After all, Pattinson has come a long way since his days as Edward Cullen. In fact, the actor has purposefully taken on roles to break free of the Twilight stigma.
These include complex, often unsympathetic characters in movies such as Good Time and The Lighthouse. Pattinson received rave reviews for his portrayal of Bruce Wayne and Batman in Reeves’ version, proving that the casting was perfectly done.
