The new Batman shortlist includes Nicholas Hoult and Robert Pattinson, but neither have been officially cast yet

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Hold your horses. A new Batman (opens in new tab) hasn’t officially been cast, and no announcement has been made from Warner Bros. There were rumblings overnight (opens in new tab) of Robert Pattinson – he of Twilight (opens in new tab) fame, if we’re being reductive – being the next actor to don the cowl and play the Caped Crusader in the upcoming DC Extended Universe movie. But a game of Gotham Whispers may have broken out a little too soon, as X-Men’s Nicholas Hoult is also reportedly on a shortlist to play the iconic superhero

Hoult, who has played Beast across four X-Men movies since X-Men: First Class (opens in new tab), could be in line to make the jump to DC according to a report from Deadline (opens in new tab). In it, the outlet suggests that both Pattinson and Hoult are being considered but “the batsuit isn’t filled yet.”

However, according to sources, Matt Reeves – who will be directing the next Batman in, uhh, The Batman – and other shot-callers believe Pattinson is “holding the edge.” So, in effect, the next Batman isn’t officially Robert Pattinson, but it’s looking more likely than not that he’ll be the one to take over from Ben Affleck.

Either way, the shortlist (which could very well include some more names that we’ve yet to consider) points towards the reboot potentially leaning on a younger Bruce Wayne than we’ve ever had before.

Michael Keaton was 37 when he became Batman; Val Kilmer a year younger at 36, George Clooney 36, Christian Bale 31, and Ben Affleck was the oldest of the bunch at 44. By comparison, Pattinson is currently 33, while Nicholas Hoult would be the youngest to ever play Bats at 29.

It could be another re-tread of the origin story, or a tale in a similar vein to the Batman: Year One comic run which sees Bruce Wayne struggling to balance his newfound role as Gotham’s protector with that of a billionaire, but it’s clear that The Batman is aiming for a fresher take on The Dark Knight (opens in new tab). We just don’t know if it’ll be Robert Pattinson or Nicholas Hoult… yet.