UPDATE: DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has broken his silence on The Batman 2's new release date by saying, "The only reason for the delay is there isn’t a full script."
He added, "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."
Christmas is over and so are our dreams of seeing The Batman Part II in theaters in 2026. Warner Bros. has confirmed today that the sequel (which is currently untitled, according to The Hollywood Reporter) has moved from October 2, 2026, to October 1, 2027.
Yes, that's a delay of an entire year, the second time it's been pushed by such a huge amount of time (before 2023's Hollywood strikes, the movie had been scheduled for an October 2025 release).
This news is hugely disappointing and means there will have been a five-and-a-half-year gap between The Batman and The Batman Part II by the time the latter arrives. It will have also been three years between The Penguin and filmmaker Matt Reeves' continuation of "The Batman Epic Crime Saga."
The Alejandro González Iñárritu-directed untitled movie starring Tom Cruise will now open on October 2, 2026. Mickey 17, meanwhile, has shifted to March 7 and Sinners is heading our way on April 18.
The Penguin season 2 is reportedly in the early stages of development and could, at this rate, reach us before The Batman sequel. Other noteworthy movies set to debut in 2027 include Avengers: Secret Wars, Frozen III, and an untitled Star Wars movie.
Does this delay close the door on Robert Pattinson's Dark Knight joining the DCU? Would it be better to move on from The Batman franchise at this point despite its critical and commercial success? Will fans and moviegoers still care another two-and-a-half years from now? Only time will tell.
What we do know is that Clayface - dated for September 11, 2026 - will no longer open mere weeks before The Batman Part II.
Talking to Catwoman actor Zoë Kravitz for a recent Variety profile, Reeves shared, "[We’re] finishing the script. We’re going to be shooting next year." Elsewhere in the conversation, Kravitz said, "You’re an incredibly meticulous filmmaker. I just asked you how it’s going with writing ['Part II'] and you said, 'Slow,' and I think that’s a wonderful quality, because you care so much."
Elaborating on "slow," The Batman helmer detailed his creative process and explained why the sequel hasn't taken shape as quickly as some fans might like.
"It’s wonderful, except for the speed of getting something done," Reeves explained. "The thing is that for me, I feel like it’s not a choice. I always feel like I would never do it the way I’m doing it, except that that’s the only way I know how to do it."
"The metaphor that I use when I’m talking to my partners is that writing and filmmaking is like being in a dark room," he continued. "Everything you need is in the room, but there are no lights, and you’re on hands and knees. And when something connects, you go, 'Oh, that’s something.'"
The Batman Part II will be released in theaters on October 2, 2026 October 1, 2027.