Robert Pattinson’s captivating performance as Chris Hansen in A24’s Primetime has sparked an unexpected trend; fans are now wondering what Pattinson’s take on the Joker would look like.
The actor’s portrayal of Hansen has received acclaim from both critics and casual audiences alike. IGN’s Siddhant Adlakha scored Primetime a sparkling 9 out of 10, praising Pattinson for “setting the screen ablaze” with his depiction of a “petulant, paranoid” TV host.
One of his lines from the movie’s trailers has already become a viral meme (“You see how this looks, right?”), and fans just can’t get enough of his chilling stare and near-sociopathic take on Hansen, prompting them to ask the question: “What if he played the Joker?”
In the lead-up to Primetime’s release on September 25, curious Batman fans are hypothetically casting him in James Gunn’s separate DC cinematic universe, wondering what his Hansen-esque Joker would look like, were he able and willing to play the part.
“Really sucks he’s Batman, ‘cause his Joker would’ve been generational,” one fan wrote in a post on X.
“F**k it, let Robert Pattinson play Joker and Batman,” another said, while another mused that the “only bad part about Robert Pattinson being such a good Batman is that he’d make such a good Joker.”
Really sucks he’s Batman cause his Joker would’ve been generational https://t.co/6fHhzKUFGw
— woop (@woop54) September 16, 2026
Entertainment Weekly brought up these remarks to Pattinson during a September 2026 interview, who humbly deferred to Barry Keoghan, who’s currently playing the villain in Matt Reeves’ film series.
“Oh, Jesus. I mean, it’s such a great part… but Barry’s the man,” Pattinson told the outlet.
He went on to praise Keoghan’s performance as the iconic DC character, pointing specifically to their shared deleted scene in 2022’s The Batman.
“I loved doing that scene with him so much,” he admitted. “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.”
Battinson is set to return to the screen in February 2028. Filming is already underway, with fans in Scotland posting photos from the film’s set showing the Batmobile fleeing from Gotham police. Photos hinting at an upgraded batsuit have also been shared online, sparking even more speculation as to what will happen to Bruce Wayne in his next highly-anticipated adventure on the silver screen.
For now, all we know for sure is that Pattinson’s next Batman movie will go in a “totally different direction,” as told by the actor in an interview earlier this month.
