Despite concerns The Batman franchise might be scrapped to make room for DC Studios' The Brave and the Bold, James Gunn has remained resolute in his support for Matt Reeves and his Bat-verse plans.
The Penguin was a huge hit on HBO, so short of Reeves choosing to walk away from the franchise, there's no reason to believe The Batman Part II won't be released in 2026 as planned (even though Gunn has confirmed he's still waiting to see a script).
A positive update comes our way today from John Rocha and Jeff Sneider; apparently, casting has started for the movie, with Reeves planning to send out an offer for a lead role that could potentially be Part II's main villain. We don't have a name, but it does sound like whoever he's eyeing is a big actor.
It's also said that shooting could begin as soon as February 2025, though that may create a conflict with Pattinson's role in Christopher Nolan's next movie (which we have previously heard is relatively minor).
Fans have spent the past couple of years speculating about The Batman Part II's big bad, with Mr. Freeze and the Court of Owls the clear favourites. Whether Reeves takes that into account for the story he plans to tell remains to be seen.
During a recent interview, Gunn confirmed that he did indeed consider bringing "The Batman" into the DCU.
"I've contemplated it, yeah. I contemplate everything and talk about everything," the filmmaker explained. "I'm committed to both telling stories in the DCU and telling Elseworlds stories. We want to be able to tell a story where Superman is very different or tell a Red Sun story or whatever. We want to be able to play with these characters in different ways."
"One of the things I love about DC over Marvel comic books is those things are much more plentiful," he continued. "There are many more Elseworlds stories. I think that's part of the fun of DC."
We'd imagine neither Reeves nor Pattinson are eager to find themselves joining a shared world like the DCU, especially as it would force the latter to commit to all manner of future projects. Gunn also appears to have a very specific story arc in mind for the Dark Knight by examining his relationship with his son and future Robin, Damian Wayne.
The Batman Part II is currently set to be released in theaters on October 2, 2026.