The Batman was a welcome reset for DC’s flagship superhero. After Ben Affleck’s turn never truly established itself in Zack Snyder’s divisive spectacles, this younger refresh from director Matt Reeves was a rejuvenating exercise in course correction.
With a stronger emphasis on Batman’s detective work, this outing was also elevated by its cast, from Robert Pattinson as the gruff caped crusader, Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, to Colin Farrell’s standout turn as Oswald Cobblepot aka The Penguin. A sequel was inevitable, but what do we know about the next instalment in this revamped Batman saga?
Is a sequel to The Batman officially in the works?
The Bat is back
A sequel to The Batman was officially confirmed during a CinemaCon presentation from Warner Bros. on April 26, 2022. Matt Reeves was also announced to be returning to write and direct the sequel.
Speaking at the event (via Deadline), Reeves said: “Thank you all for your tremendous support for The Batman. We couldn’t have gotten here without the faith and enthusiasm of all your teams around the world. I’m excited to jump back into this world for the next chapter.”
A title was announced a few months later, The Batman – Part Two.
Is there a release date for The Batman 2?
Delays have hit Gotham
When James Gunn and Peter Safran took over as heads of DC Films, it was reported by Variety that Reeves had yet to deliver a finished script for The Batman – Part Two.
There were reports that filming had began in March 2024 after being delayed due to the Writer’s Strike but according to an interview with writer Mattson Tomlison, filming will begin in 2025 with Reeves using that extra time to polish the script. “He’s trying to make something that really matters. So to be able to just be on the ride and be part of that process, it’s pretty unbelievable, pretty tremendous. I’m psyched for the movie,” said Tomlison.
At first The Batman – Part 2 was delayed to October 2, 2026 but at the end of 2024, it was pushed back another 12 months. It’s now set for release October 1, 2027 and filming is set to begin later this year.
DC boss Gunn isn’t worried about the wait though. “To be fair, a five year gap or more is fairly common in sequels,” he wrote on social media. “Seven years between Alien and Aliens. 14 years between Incredibles. Seven years between the first two Terminators. 13 years between Avatars. 36 years between Top Guns. And, of course, six years between Guardians Vol 2 and Vol 3.”
Who is returning for The Batman sequel?
It’s safe to assume some names are locked in
The only confirmed cast members for the sequel are Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne and Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman although it’s reasonable to assume some other core cast members will be back, including Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon and Andy Serkis as Alfred.
The big question is who will be the villain? In The Batman, The Riddler, played by Paul Dano, was incarcerated in Arkham Asylum, where he met a version of the Joker played by Barry Keoghan. It’s likely these both could play a role in the sequel, although their involvement is yet to be confirmed. However Keoghan has teased his involvement.
Following the standalone spin-off series, there’s every chance Colin Farrell’s Penguin will also be returning to the big screen and, depending on how things play out, Cristin Milioti could also appear. The only character who definitely won’t return is Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) who was killed in The Batman.
What have the cast and creators said about the sequel?
There’s been some villain chat
Matt Reeves has teased his interest in a number of Batman villains. Speaking at a press event in February 2022 (via Collider), the director expressed his interest in taking some of DC’s fantastical villains and making them more realistic.
“I just feel drawn to finding the grounded version of everything,” Reeves said. “So to me it would be a challenge in an interesting way to try and figure out how that could happen, even the idea of something like Mr. Freeze, that’s such a great story, right? I think there’s actually a grounded version of that story, which could be really powerful and could be really great.”
Along with Mr. Freeze, Reeves has also commented on the possibility of gifted surgeon and Batman baddie Hush making a debut at some point, although it might not be in the sequel.
Asked by a fan what character from the comics he’d love to translate into the films (via Twitter Movies), Reeves said: “I think Hush is a really interesting one to do. I’ll choose Hush, but that doesn’t mean the next [villain] will be Hush. I just want to say, there are so many.”
Pattinson has also shared his favourite storylines from the Batman universe, where he names the Court of Owls, a hidden society that secretly rules Gotham. “I’d love to do something like Court Of Owls,” Pattinson told Den Of Geek. “There are elements of The Batman which are kind of horror and I think it really feels quite new for Batman.”
The other villain he mentions is Calendar Man, a baddie who commits crimes that correspond with holidays and significant dates. The character made a cameo appearance in The Suicide Squad, where he was played by Sean Gunn.
More recently, Pattinson revealed he knows what The Batman – Part Two is about. “I can’t tell anyone, but it’s like, it’s very cool. It’s very exciting”.
Meanwhile James Gunn has debunked rumours that Boyd Holbrook has been cast as Two-Face.
Are there any spin-off shows in development?
Prepare for a new wave of DC TV
HBO’s The Penguin has followed in the successful shoes of The Batman, with the spin-off series receiving universal acclaim. A second season hasn’t been confirmed yet but there are already whispers. The success of the show means other shows are highly likely as well.
Another spin-off series was set to revolve around Arkham Asylum, which evolved from an original plan to create a Gotham PD series. However, it was reported in 2024 that HBO is no longer moving ahead with the project.
As for further Batman adventures, a new mainline DC movie is set to launch as part of Gunn’s new, interconnected universe. The Brave and the Bold will be the “introduction of the DCU Batman” and feature Bruce’s son Damian Wayne as Robin.