The Batman is set to showcase a whole new take on The Dark Knight mythos by featuring Robert Pattinson as the titular DC hero. The upcoming solo film is directed by Matt Reeves, and it features an all-star cast alongside Pattinson that includes Paul Dano as The Riddler, Colin Farrell as the Penguin, Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, Andy Serkis as Alfred, and Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon.
The exact plot details of the movie are still shrouded in secrecy, but several interesting tidbits have emerged over the past year. For starters, The Batman will revolve around Bruce Wayne's second year as the Caped Crusader while also diving deep into the character's detective roots.
While Warner Bros. still feels confident about its March release timeline, marketing is poised to ramp up for the movie as it inches closer to its debut.
Given that this is a new Batman movie, one of the lingering questions from fans is the potential retelling of Bruce Wayne's origin.
Now, it looks like the film will once again dive into that plot point based on new casting evidence.
Who Is Playing Thomas Wayne in The Batman?
Twitter user @WayneG1939 managed to track down the actor who will be playing Thomas Wayne in Robert Pattinson's The Batman.
Thanks to some extensive sleuthing, the user revealed that Bruce Wayne's father will be played by Luke Roberts. The actor is best known for his roles in Game of Thrones, Ransom, and The Rook.
Back in December 2020, Roberts posted an image of himself reading Batman: Sins of the Father alongside a caption teasing that he is keeping mum about a potential role in an upcoming film:
“This time last year I was doing a little last minute character research in my trailer. Wish I could name drip the movie but I signed one of those NDA thingies. #throwbackthursday and maybe #throwout2020 Thank you to all the essential workers that have kept us going. Wishing everyone a healthy holiday season and a happier more hopeful 2021.”
In October 2020, Roberts also posted an image of a LEGO Batman collectible, with a caption saying "my next project...:"
Retelling Batman's Origin Story
A Batman movie would not be complete without the traditional retelling of how Bruce Wayne became Gotham's protector.
While this latest evidence essentially confirms that Luke Roberts will be part of the film as Thomas Wayne, it's possible that The Batman director Matt Reeves has a unique take on how to present the character's origin story.
The film's trailer showcased Gotham's mysterious secrets unearthed by the Riddler. The villain's meddling could connect to the Wayne family's past, thus allowing a flashback to center around Roberts' Thomas Wayne.
Doing this would give a fresh perspective on Thomas' place in the Batman mythology, instead of being killed in the alleyway through the eyes of a young Bruce.
The trailers also teased that Riddler is aware of Batman's real identity in the movie, further cementing the possibility that a Wayne-driven flashback could be in the cards. This would help explain Edward Nygma's fascination with the Wayne family.
Many fans have theorized that The Batman is setting up a storyline centered around the Court of Owls in future sequels. If this is the case, then it would allow Roberts to return in future installments of the franchise since Thomas has a shared connection with the mysterious organization in the comics.
The Batman is set to premiere in theaters on March 4, 2022.
