“Fear is a tool. When that light hits the sky, it’s not just a call. It’s a warning.”
The Batman was released to financial success and high praise from critics, the two most important ingredients necessary to launch a new superhero franchise.
However, in the three years since its release, details about the film's sequel have only been negative, with numerous reports of delays and behind-the-scenes turmoil about whether to incorporate Robert Pattinson's Dark Knight into Peter Safran and James Gunn's DCU.
The Batman: Part II was originally set for release on Oct. 2, 2026, but has since been delayed to Oct. 1, 2027.
According to The Wrap, the delays simply stem from the fact that Matt Reeves is just a slow, methodical writer. He's reportedly been submitting multiple pages at a time (for more than half a year), rather than a complete script.
Given this style of work, Reeves is expected to finally have a full, complete first draft before the Memorial Day holiday on May 26th.
The Wrap also cites the 2023 actors and writers’ strike as a contributing factor for the sequel's delay. The 2023 Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike began on May 2, 2023, and ended on September 27, 2023, meaning Hollywood guild writers were not permitted to work on any scripts for approximately 5 months.
The Wrap also reports that their sources have confirmed that Pattinson's Batman will not be joining the DCU.
Addressing the delays, Gunn has previously stated, "Matt is committed to making the best film he possibly can, and no one can accurately guess exactly how long a script will take to write. Once there is a finished script, there is around two years for pre-production, shooting and post-production on big films."
More recently, Pattinson added, "I know what it’s about now,” Pattinson said of the sequel. “Matt [Reeves] is a very careful writer, but I finally now know what it’s about. It’s very cool and I’m very excited."
The Batman sequel is expected to begin shooting in 4Q (Oct-Dec) 2025.
Plot details are unknown at this time, but alongside Pattinson, expected to return are Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle, Paul Dano as The Riddler, Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, and Colin Farrell as The Penguin.
Barry Keoghan made a cameo appearance as the Joker in the first film and is expected (but not confirmed) to have a larger role in the sequel.