Robert Pattinson has reportedly contracted COVID-19, causing production on The Batman to halt.
As reported by Vanity Fair, Pattinson tested positive for coronavirus just days after shooting resumed following a months-long shutdown, starting in March, due to the pandemic. Warner Bros. declined to confirm or deny the report, instead issuing a statement reading: "A member of The Batman production has tested positive for COVID-19, and is isolating in accordance with established protocols. Filming is temporarily paused."
Matt Reeves' The Batman was originally scheduled to release in June 2021, but was pushed back to October that same year. The story follows Pattinson as a younger, less experienced Batman navigating his responsibilities to Gotham City as well as past trauma. Pattinson is joined in the ensemble cast by Zoë Kravitz, Colin Farrell, Andy Serkis, Paul Dano, John Turturro, Jeffrey Wright, Peter Sarsgaard, Barry Keoghan, and Jayme Lawson.
Reeves recently spoke about his vision for Pattinson's more vulnerable Batman: "I just felt like well, what I'd love to do is to get a version of this Batman character where he's not yet fully formed. Where there's something to do in this context with who that guy would be in this world today, and to ground him in all of these broken ways. Because at the end of the day, this guy is doing all of this to deal with trauma in his past." The director also confirmed at DC Fandome that the story will centre on Batman Year Two.
Here's wishing Pattinson a swift recovery.
