Warner Bros said a member of production had coronavirus and was isolating but has not confirmed the name of the individual. Vanity Fair and the Hollywood Reporter said the person who tested positive was Pattinson, who plays the caped crusader in the new blockbuster. The reports cited unnamed sources.

"A member of The Batman production has tested positive for COVID-19 and is isolating in accordance with established protocols. Filming is temporarily paused," a Warner Bros spokeswoman said. Production on the movie had resumed near London just a few days ago after a break of nearly six months due to the pandemic.

Filming on the DC Comics feature began in Glasgow earlier this year, and director Matt Reeves has said about a quarter of the movie has been shot so far. Twilight star Pattinson follows in the footsteps of Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, Val Kilmer and George Clooney in playing the Dark Knight. The Batman was originally supposed to be in cinemas next June but was delayed to 1 October 2021. Among the villains in the new film will be The Riddler played by Paul Dano, and Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz).

Last month, the first trailer was released, showing the pair, as well as Pattinson as a brooding Bruce Wayne, a dark and gritty Gotham, and Batman's new Batmobile and Batcycle. The two-minute video, which premiered at the virtual DC FanDome convention, is set to Nirvana's haunting 1991 track Something In The Way.