If you’ve seen a stranger defending Robert Pattinson online, there’s a chance that it’s The Batman star himself. This weekend, Pattinson’s new film debuted in theaters to a very strong opening, pulling in $128.5 million at the domestic box office. With reviews that were mostly positive, it would seem Pattinson’s Batman is a hit, despite some initial backlash over his casting.

In a new interview with Vanity Fair, Pattinson touched on the criticism he’s gotten from people on social media. While this is something every well-known celebrity will experience, there have been times where the comments had pushed Pattinson to the point where he felt compelled to defend himself. The actor admits to going online and writing response messages that basically amount to asking the trolls to just leave him alone, noting that he’s doing his best as a performer.

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Going online to see what fans were saying about The Batman wasn’t an entirely negative experience for Pattinson. He found himself intrigued by the fan theories that people were coming up with along with their thoughts on how Batman should be portrayed. Pattinson says that a lot of what he read did in fact affect his performance in a good way and admits that he still lurks from time to time, observing what fans are saying online.

Robert Pattinson Has Won Many Fans Over With The Batman

     Warner Bros.

Everyone involved must be thrilled with the success of The Batman. While there are many popular actors to have played the role in the past, including fan favorite Michael Keaton who will returning the role in The Flash, most viewers are impressed with what Pattinson brought to the role. Some reviewers have felt comfortable labeling Pattinson as their new favorite Batman, embodying both Bruce Wayne and the Dark Knight with perfection.

Matt Reeves directs The Batman using a screenplay co-written with Peter Craig. Along with Pattinson, the film stars Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as The Riddler, Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot, and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth. The film takes place about two years after Bruce Wayne first put on the Batsuit to begin fighting crime in Gotham City, inspired to clean up the streets after the murders of his parents many years earlier.

The Batman is now playing in movie theaters everywhere. Given the success of the new film, chances are we will see Pattinson return in The Batman 2.