The Batman will no longer be hitting theaters in 2021, with the studio deciding to delay the Matt Reeves directed movie until March 4, 2022. So, thanks to current circumstances, audiences will have to wait almost six extra months before seeing Robert Pattinson ply his trade against the forces of evil.

The Batman had been slated for release on October 1st, 2021. There have been rumors for some time that this would be changed due to the long pause in production and ongoing theater closures amid the global situation, and sadly this has turned out to be true.

Similar to what happened earlier this year, a litany of movies are now being pushed back following the recent delay of tentpole blockbusters No Time to Die and Dune. Warner Bros. has overhauled its upcoming release calendar, rescheduling many of its high profile releases including Black Adam starring Dwayne Johnson, which has now been removed from the release calendar entirely.

The Batman has been described as a noir-driven story that will pick up with a tortured Bruce Wayne around two years into his crime-fighting career. Young Bruce has become disheartened by the lack of impact he is having on crime in Gotham, when suddenly a series of murders occur at the hands of The Riddler. Lead down a path that will reveal dark secrets about his beloved parents, Bruce is forced to confront the corruption going on in the shadows of his city, all while trying to catch The Riddler before he kills again.

Starring Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader, The Batman has amassed an all-star cast including the likes of Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as Riddler, Colin Farrell as Penguin, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Peter Sarsgaard as Gil Colson and Jeffery Wright as Commissioner Gordon.

Pattinson recently discussed taking on the coveted role, saying that he actually enjoys the idea that he could mess it up. "I weirdly enjoyed it during Twilight, the idea that you can mess it up," the actor said of the pressure of such an iconic role. "I guess I felt confident. I wanted to be on the big stage. There's a slightly different feeling when you know loads and loads of people are going to watch something you're working on."

Pattinson's casting came as a surprise to many, with director Matt Reeves recently explaining why he was chosen. It turns out it was not just for his acting talent, but also his passion for the Batman mythology, something he shared with Reeves. "[Robert has] been working on his craft in this really incredible way, and he also happens to be a tremendous, passionate sort of fan of Batman that way that I am and so... it was an incredible thing to be able to connect with him and to share the excitement about the character and to work with him," Reeves said. "I mean, you know, he looks like Batman but more than anything, he has the soul of someone I think can play a Batman like you'd never seen before."

So, for those in the back, The Batman will now be released on March 4, 2022. Here's hoping that theaters will have survived. This disappointing news comes to us from Variety.