Out of all of the live-action Batman movies so far, Matt Reeves’ The Batman is easily my favorite, which I realize puts me at risk for accusations of recency bias. However, I assure you that my opinion is genuine, because it finally gave me the cinematic iteration of the Dark Knight I always wanted to see in Robert Pattinson’s portrayal (an actual detective) and a hauntingly bleak vision of Gotham City that I wanted to return to immediately as the credits rolled. I am delighted to report that my wish for a The Batman 2 has been granted.
A follow-up to the one of the best superhero movies of 2022 — hell, one of the best movies of 2022 regardless of genre, if you ask me — is currently in the works at Warner Bros. and DC Studios. Of course, with the announcement of a sequel to any critical and commercial hit, there come plenty of questions — such as who from Batman’s rogues gallery will he fight next or how might this movie tie into the new DCU continuity, if at all? Let’s take things one thing at a time as we guide you through everything we know so far about one of the most highly anticipated upcoming superhero movies, which is officially called The Batman: Part II — starting with when it flies into theaters.
What Is The Batman: Part II Release Date?
The next chapter of the Reeves-verse is coming out in time for the Dark Knight’s “favorite holiday.” In the "aftermath" of 2023's WGA and SAG-ATRFA strikes, Deadline reported that The Batman: Part II is currently set to release on Friday, October 2, 2026. Luckily, there are still plenty of other upcoming Batman-related movies and TV shows debuting (or returning) between now and then for fans to bide their time with.
Coincidentally, in what could be interpreted as an homage to Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s seminal graphic novel, Batman: The Long Halloween, the opening scene of The Batman takes place on October 31st. In fact, at one time, the movie was set to be released during said month in 2021. However, a number of setbacks — including Robert Pattinson’s Covid-19 diagnosis — forced it to be delayed until March of the following year.
Robert Pattinson Is Expected To Reprise The Title Role
Fans of how Robert Pattinson measured up to (or, perhaps, even surpassed) the great Batman actors before him can be happy to know that he will put the cape and cowl back on in The Batman: Part II, as Deadline mentions. A lot of people — including Jimmy Kimmel — like to joke that the English actor got his preparation to play a “bat” by playing a vampire in the Twilight movies cast for so many years. Of course, it was really his performances in gritty thrillers like 2017’s Good Time that earned him the honor of portraying a brutal and emotionally tormented iteration of Bruce Wayne.
While on the red carpet for the 2024 Critics Choice Awards, James Gordon actor Jeffrey Wright told Entertainment Tonight that he has not seen a script for the sequel yet, and later told Discussing Film that he hopes to take a deeper, more personal dive into the character, who is now a lieutenant for GCPD. Also, in February, when Vanity Fair mentioned Barry Keoghan's Joker reprisal, the Saltburn star did not deny it -- suggesting the Clown Prince of Crime will also return. There is no confirmation at the moment regarding who else from 2022’s The Batman cast will return.
The Batman: Part II Is Not Part Of The New DCU Slate
Right now, we don't know what the story of the sequel will entail, but do know is that the film will be its own entity, much like the first entry in this series from Reeves. The Batman: Part II is part of a separate category of upcoming DC movies called “Elseworlds” — in reference to the eponymous comic book imprint that explores other areas of the DC Multiverse — and is not canon to the new plans for the DCU as overseen by James Gunn and Peter Safran.
However, that continuity will also have its own version of Batman -- which has yet to be cast -- and who will be partnered with his son, Damian Wayne, as his Robin in The Brave and the Bold. That being said, it would still be cool to see a different Robin appear in the Reeves-verse one day.
Director Matt Reeves Is Writing The Batman: Part II With Mattson Tomlin
Despite being a comic book movie, when compared to the previous screen adaptations of Bill Finger and Bob Kane’s creation, The Batman is unique enough to be considered a singular vision. Thus, it is relieving to know that Matt Reeves is back at the helm of The Batman: Part II to continue what he started and, based on his comments to the Team Deakins podcast, he appears to be looking to really up the ante on what he established with the original.
The filmmaker — also known for directing Cloverfield and some of the more recent Planet of the Apes movies — is also penning the sequel, but not with his credited The Batman co-writer, Peter Craig. As The Hollywood Reporter broke in August 2022, Reeves is partnering with Mattson Tomlin — who also did some uncredited work on the predecessor — as The Batman: Part II’s additional scribe.
The Sequel Was First Announced At CinemaCon
In April 2022, before it was given the official title, The Batman: Part II, the sequel was announced by Matt Reeves at CinemaCon, at which he thanked fans for their support of the first film and expressed his excitement to “jump back into this world for the next chapter.”
Talk of a sequel to The Batman came almost immediately after it was released to stellar reviews from critics and raked in impressive opening box office returns. Luckily, fans would not have to wait much longer for the initial announcement of the follow-up. Warner Bros. exec Toby Emmerich also mentioned at CinemaCon that “the whole team” was coming back for the sequel, but all of whom that entails remains to be determined.
The Batman Spin-Off Movies And TV Shows Are Also In Development
The new continuity launched by The Batman will not just continue with this feature-length follow-up and is expanding with other movies and TV shows from the perspective of Bruce Wayne’s allies and enemies alike. For instance, one of the most highly anticipated upcoming DC TV shows, The Penguin, will see an unrecognizable Colin Farrell reprising his role as Gotham City gangster Oswald Cobblepot and a GCPD-centered crime thriller is also in development for Max.
Said cop drama was, at one time, said to have evolved into a different series chronicling the goings-on at Arkham Asylum, but Variety later reported that that show -- which will be ran by Antonio Campos -- is not only a separate entity, but exists in the new DCU canon, as James Gunn confirmed on Threads. Reeves is also involved in a new animated series coming to Amazon Prime called Batman: Caped Crusader.
That is the extent of what we know about The Batman: Part II for now. We will be sure to shine the Batsignal in your direction when new updates come about.
