Quite a few rumors relating to Matt Reeves' The Batman sequel have been doing the rounds over the past few weeks, but it seems most - if not all - may prove to be inaccurate.
We've heard that multiple villains, including Clayface, Scarecrow, Hush and Professor Pyg, along with Dick Grayson/Robin, will be introduced in the movie, but when DC Studios co-head James Gunn was asked about these characters on Threads, he responded with, "Nope. Totally made up."
Gunn is not believed to be directly involved with developing The Batman - Part II, but despite the sequel existing outside the main DCU as an "Elseworlds" story, the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 director is obviously going to be privy to Reeves' plans.
Interestingly, not all of these rumored characters were social media "scoops." Clayface, for example, was first mentioned in a trade report on potential plans for a spin-off featuring the classic Bat-baddie, and Reeves himself dropped a few Hush hints after Dr. Tommy Elliot was teased in the first film.
In The Batman, the groundwork is actually laid for the introduction of Hush when The Riddler exposes some dark secrets, revealing that Thomas Wayne played a part in the death of a journalist named Edward Elliot. While this could just be a coincidence, the word "hush" even flashes up on the screen at one point.
Even so, it seems Reeves is planning to take the story in another direction. Perhaps Barry Keoghan's Joker will wind up being the main villain after all?
Recent reports have indicated that the plan is to start shooting The Dark Knight's next big-screen outing in late summer, with casting getting underway from February.
Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Andy Serkis, Jeffrey Wright, and Colin Farrell are all expected to reprise their respective roles, and characters introduced in the Penguin Max spin-off series are also likely to appear.
Specific plot details are still under wraps, but we know the Penguin spin-off series will set up the story. As far as official info goes, Reeves has stated that his sequel will continue this "epic crime saga," but that's about all we have to go on.
The Batman - Part II is set to release in theaters on October 3, 2025.