Robert Pattinson, or whoever it ends up being, is being put through a very rigorous and detailed casting process in order to land the lead role in The Batman. This project has been in the works for several years now, originally with Ben Affleck attached to direct and star in it. Now, Matt Reeves (War for the Planet of the Apes) is on board to write and direct, with the search on for a new actor to assume cape and cowl duties. And, apparently, Warner Bros. is taking this process rather seriously, as one might expect.

Last week, we got word that former Twilight star Robert Pattinson was in talks to be our new Batman, with many outlets making it seem like it was a done deal. As it turns out, that's not the case, as Tolkien and Dark Phoenix star Nicholas Hoult is also in the running, with other names such as Aaron Taylor Johnson and Armie Hammer also being thrown around. So, while it's far from a done deal, serious talks are taking place and, whoever it's going to wind up being that ultimately stars in The Batman will have fought for the role and proved themselves to the brass at the studio by the time the announcement is made.

According to a new report, Warner Bros. is putting the actor in question through an in-depth casting process that includes screen tests, costume tests, readings, and meetings, amongst other things. The report notes that the studio considers Batman to be their most important property and they don't want to screw this up. The hope is that The Batman will kick off a new trilogy. So whoever lands the role will have to carry the torch for some time. It's also noted that they don't want a divisive situation like the one they found themselves in with Ben Affleck.

In the years since Christopher Nolan defined the character for a new generation with The Dark Knight trilogy, Marvel Studios has proved that comic book movies can be more than just blockbusters. They can be money printing machines, when executed the right way. As such, Batman can be seen as more of a cash cow than ever before, if the property is handled the right way. It stands to reason that Warner Bros. and Matt Reeves would want to be extremely meticulous when it comes to casting someone.

Does this mean that they're going to worry about initial public opinion? When the news of Robert Pattinson's possible casting first surfaced, there was a great deal of outcry from a number of fans online. However, that's not uncommon. It happened with Michael Keaton. It happened with Ben Affleck. It's going to happen to probably anyone, even if it isn't Pattinson. So it's unlikely the studio will allow the loudest voices online to influence their decision. Hence, the vetting process. They want to make sure they've got the right person to play the Caped Crusader so that those voices are silenced when The Batman arrives in theaters on June 25, 2021. This news was previously reported by The Hollywood Reporter.