Batman star Robert Pattinson has tested positive for Covid-19, bringing production of the £100 million movie, which resumed only three days ago near London, to an expensive halt.

Many of the crew have found it ironic that Batman has been brought down by a virus widely believed to have originated from bats in China.

“There is an irony to all this in that you would think Batman would be immune seeing as it all started from bats,” quipped an insider.

Without identifying 34-year-old Pattinson, Warner Bros. confirmed in a statement: “A member of The Batman production has tested positive for Covid-19, and is isolating in accordance with established protocols. Filming is temporarily paused.”

Vanity Fair and the Hollywood Reporter said the person who tested positive was Pattinson, who plays the caped crusader in the new blockbuster.

Pattinson, best known for his roles in the Twilight saga movies, follows in the footsteps of Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, Val Kilmer and George Clooney in playing the Dark Knight. He took on the role last year after Affleck, who had been developing the ninth film featuring Batman, dropped out.

Production crews had gathered at the studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, in August to work on sets. Filming at the studios, where the Harry Potter movies were also made, is taking place under the working title of Vengeance.

A crew member revealed: “We have been sent a memo telling us that a member of the crew has had a positive Covid-19 test.

“Everyone was looking forward to getting back to work and it has come as a blow that production has stopped just three days after we began filming. We have all been told to stand down until further notice and we are not expecting to be back filming for at least two weeks.”

Production on Batman had resumed 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 only a quarter of the movie has been shot so far.

A two-week shutdown will cost Warner Bros an estimated £5m and possibly even delay the release of the movie beyond October 2021. When production was previously halted in March, Pattinson had to stay in the UK along with several cast members.

Others who live in Los Angeles returned to the UK but had to stay in quarantine for two weeks before turning up on the set in accordance with government regulations.

The new film, which is said to be a grittier take on the DC comic book hero, sees Batman pitted against his usual enemies with Paul Dano playing The Riddler. Zoe Kravitz stars as Catwoman and John Turturro portrays crime boss Carmine Falcone.

The producers are “working round the clock” to see if any parts of the movie can be shot without its leading mean in order to minimise losses.