One of The Batman's biggest selling points was that it would serve as a "Year Two" story for Robert Pattinson's Caped Crusader. We'd had plenty of origin stories and spent a lot of time with an experienced Batman, so filmmaker Matt Reeves' approach was a breath of fresh air.
Five years will have passed by the time The Batman 2 is released, and there's been a great deal of speculation about what that means for this Elseworlds Bruce Wayne.
The Penguin was meant to bridge the gap between The Batman and its sequel, and while many fans have wondered if Reeves' movie might jump a few years into the future, it's been confirmed that we're going to remain in "Year Two."
Talking to ComicBook.com about Netflix's The Ballad of a Small Player, Colin Farrell was asked about the chances of The Penguin Season 2.
"Oh, I don’t know. I have a bit of a, generally speaking, I have a bit of a negativity bias. Apparently, I’ve been told by various people close to me," he said. "So I would say I would bet against, but not by much. I know that the powers that be are thinking of storylines that could justify another eight hours because it all goes off Matt Reeves’s world."
"It conveniently worked that the death at the end of The Batman and the devastation within Gotham opened up a power vacuum that then Oz could try and capitalize on," the actor continued. "That was perfect for the parallel eight hours that we had. And then [The Batman Part II] will pick up, whatever, a few weeks after the show ended. But I kind of bet against, but not by a wide mark."
So, when The Batman 2 begins, Oz Cobb has only been Gotham City's Kingpin of Crime for a matter of weeks. At most, this means it's been a couple of months since The Riddler's attack devastated the city, leaving Batman to continue dealing with the fallout of the flood.
It's an intriguing approach, and means Reeves won't cheat by skipping ahead a couple of years just to shake things up for the sake of it. He's always talked about telling one story over a trilogy, and it could be that it all takes place over a relatively short period through a connected series of events.
This would also explain reports that Zoë Kravitz won't be back as Catwoman, as it wouldn't make sense for her to return to Gotham City this soon (Sofia Falcone is a good excuse for the threequel, but Reeves has already confirmed that Cristin Milioti won't be in The Batman 2).
The Batman 2 is set to be released in theaters on October 1, 2027.