Robert Pattinson — Twilight to The Batman

Robert Pattinson engineered the most deliberate career pivot in modern Hollywood, systematically dismantling his Twilight heartthrob image by choosing aggressively weird roles. He starred in Cosmopolis (Cronenberg), The Rover, Good Time where he is nearly unrecognizable, The Lighthouse, and Tenet. By 2022, his casting as Batman drew unanimous critical approval instead of internet riots. The Batman grossed $770 million, outperforming #6 Adele's residency contract by over three times. Pattinson's strategy outperforms #8 Jonah Hill's pivot because Hill relied on Oscar-nominated dramas, while Pattinson erased a pop-culture icon entirely.