Director Matt Reeves has revealed that the screenplay for The Batman Part II is finished, with production scheduled to begin in 2025. The sequel to the 2022 DC film The Batman is slated for release on October 2, 2026, and will see Robert Pattinson returning as the iconic Dark Knight.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Reeves revealed that the new film will jump forward in time following the events of the first movie and the spin-off television series The Penguin. “There’s a period of time” the sequel will leap ahead, he noted. Discussing Colin Farrell‘s character, Oz Cobb, Reeves added, “Oz does become one of the entry points into the movie. I can’t tell you where it goes from there, except to say that we’re super excited about it.”
The Penguin series, which is set just one week after the events of The Batman, delves into the rise of Oz Cobb within Gotham City’s underworld. Reeves, who serves as a producer on the show, emphasised that viewers do not need to have seen The Batman to enjoy the series. He explained that it was designed to stand alone while still existing within the same universe, offering insights into the pervasive corruption in Gotham.
Regarding the thematic direction of The Batman Part II, Reeves mentioned that the film will explore societal divisions and the forces behind them. “I was very conscious about wanting to make the Gotham of The Batman a Gotham that was our world,” he said. He pointed out parallels between the fictional city and real-world issues, noting the “intense division” in today’s global climate and how people often exist in isolated information silos.
The Batman, released in 2022, was both a critical and commercial success, grossing approximately $US772 million worldwide from a budget of $US185 million. The film featured Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman, alongside Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle, Jeffrey Wright as Lt. James Gordon, Paul Dano as The Riddler, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Andy Serkis as Alfred, and of course Colin Farrell as The Penguin.
Barry Keoghan was teased as the Joker in The Batman – and he may or may not be a part of the sequel. But let’s be real – at this point, it’s very likely Joker will be in the sequel. “It would be exciting, wouldn’t it? To see the Joker come to life again,” Keoghan said in a December 2023 interview with E Talk. “My smile says all, you know what I mean?”
