The Joker doesn't have anything on 2020's biggest super-villain. Just after filming picked back up for the new Batman movie, Robert Pattinson, who plays the titular caped crusader, contracted the coronavirus.
The cast and crew of the highly-anticipated DC film had just begun to continue filming in London three days ago, after halting production due to COVID-19 in March. At first, Warner Bros. didn't reveal which member of the team fell ill when Vanity Fair originally reported the story, but Deadline later confirmed it was Pattinson who caused the set's shut down.
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“A member of The Batman production has tested positive for Covid-19, and is isolating in accordance with established protocols," Warner Bros. said. "Filming is temporarily paused."
Before the filming initially stopped, director Matt Reeves revealed that a quarter of the movie was done, with about three months left to go. The director even premiered a teaser trailer at the DC FanDome virtual panel in late August. The Batman was originally set to hit theaters in June 2021, but was pushed back to October 2021 — with this additional delay, the release date will likely be even later next year.
According to the director, the film takes place during the Batman Year era of the comic books, and will feature iconic villains The Riddler, Penguin and Catwoman as they become Bruce Wayne's nemeses.
This news should come as a grave reminder that while many are beginning to go back to work (Hollywood included), the threat of the pandemic is far from over. Case in point: if the almighty Batman can get sick, anyone can.