Robert Pattinson is having one heck of a 2026 movie schedule. From his villainous turn in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey to his highly anticipated role in Denis Villeneuve’s final installment of Dune, the actor has no shortage of powerhouse performances. Although perhaps one of the most unexpected roles he's taken on is real-life journalist Chris Hansen in A24’s Primetime. He is chilling in the trailer, but what I didn't expect was fans comparing him to The Joker... or his take on that comparison.
In a recent chat with Entertainment Weekly, Pattinson fielded a question about whether his portrayal of the controversial To Catch a Predator Host has any Crown Prince of Crime in its DNA, or whether he’d ever considered taking on that role given all the online chatter. Of course, the actor quickly pivoted to how much he loved Barry Keoghan's short but memorable scene as the character from 2022’s The Batman. He explained:
Oh, Jesus. I mean, it’s such a great part…but Barry’s the man.
What survives of Keoghan's performance in the finished film is a short interaction at the end. We see him, out of focus, laughing with his fellow Arkham inmate, Paul Dano’s Riddler. However, a deleted scene that surfaced online showcases Pattinson’s Batman visiting the Joker and asking him to help solve the case against the Riddler, in a very Hannibal Lecter/Clarice Starling encounter.
Unfortunately, the scene didn’t make it into the final movie, and there’s no word on whether it's canon to this corner of the Bat-universe. Still, Pattinson would love to see the actor continue in future installments in the series. He continued:
I loved doing that scene with him so much. I love Barry as well. I think he’s such a phenomenal actor. It was so fun doing that stuff with him. But yeah, I want him to do it. I’m much more interested in that.
What a gracious take by Battinson. There have been countless on-screen portrayals of The Joker, some better than others, but I have to agree with him. I’d love to see this particular interaction continue in future installments in Matt Reeves’ Batman movies. That is, if we get more beyond The Batman Part II.
The Batman released eight months before James Gunn and producer Peter Safran officially took over as co-chairmen and co-CEOs of DC Studios on November 1, 2022. After the pair took over the future DC movie slate, things got complicated, especially after they announced a separate iteration of Batman & Robin that fits into the newly established DCU. Meanwhile, Reeves' take on the character would remain in its own universe of Elseworlds stories.
What followed was years of starts and stops for a follow-up to the first Pattinson-led movie. We will finally get the sequel on February 18, 2028, after it was moved from the 2027 movie schedule to 2028. That is, barring no further setbacks or reschedules. At this pace, it's unclear whether we will see a third in the series materialize; if not, we may never get another look at Barry Keoghan's take on the character unless he appears in Batman Part II. We will have to wait until February 18, 2028 to find out.
For now, we will have to settle for Pattinson’s take on Chris Hansen as the closest we have to him as Mr. J. But hey, if the entire DC slate is rebooted again in five years, maybe he’ll get the chance to paint his face and give us that "generational" performance fans online are convinced he’d deliver.
Primetime hits theaters on September 25, 2026.
