Summary
The Batman - Part IIhas had minimal updates since its announcement, begging the question of what’s going on with the production.The Batman - Part II’s storywas first announced shortly after the first movie became a success for Warner Bros. In January 2023,James Gunn’s DCU slatewas revealed, withThe Batman - Part II’s title revealed as an Elseworlds project. This understandably caused a great deal of excitement, with many desiring a sequel that further fleshed out the characters and world ofThe Batman.
As one of manyupcomingBatmanmovies or TV shows,The Batman - Part IIwill continue to build upon Matt Reeves' version of Gotham. The DCU will have another Batman in Gunn’sBrave and the Boldadaptation, but Reeves' upcoming film will be a separate entity, stemming from theending ofThe Batman. Although the film is highly anticipated, little has been revealed about the production since it was announced. Amid rumors of cancelations and production delays, here is what is happening withThe Batman - Part II.
The Brave and the Bold
Don’t Worry, The Batman 2 Is Still Happening
Matt Reeves' Version Of Gotham Will Not Be Canceled
As alluded to, the lack of updates surroundingThe Batman 2has led rumors and speculation to become rampant.These rumors have implied thatThe Batman - Part IIwill be canceled, something that became a somewhat common belief after James Gunn announced theDCU’sBrave and the Boldversion of Batman. Many deemed it unlikely that a franchise like the DCU would have two versions of the Caped Crusader, despite Gunn making it clear that Robert Pattinson’s Batman would be an Elseworlds project.
Elseworlds is a term from DC Comics used to indicate a story that takes place outside of the main franchise canon, with Gunn reusing the phrase for non-canon DCU movies like Joker: Folie à Deux.
However, James Gunn has endlessly addressed these rumors.Gunn debunkedThe Batman2’s cancelationon Instagram, reassuring a concerned fan who asked the filmmaker about the movie’s status. Gunn replied that the film and its planned sequel have not been canceled, putting the rumors to bed once and for all. In reality, the lack of updates surroundingThe Batman - Part IIis likely due to Reeves' focus on MAX’sThe PenguinTV show, a spin-off of the first movie that will be released before the sequel.
The Penguin TV Show: Cast, Story Details & Everything We Know So Far
Matt Reeves continues his The Batman universe with some spinoff TV series, and the first to release is HBO Max’s The Penguin starring Colin Farrell.
What We Know About When The Batman 2 Will Start Filming
The Batman - Part II’s Production Will Begin Sooner Rather Than Later
With rumors ofThe Batman - Part II’s cancelation finally being a thing of the past, questions will naturally turn to when the film will begin production. Initially,The Batman 2was slated for an October 2025 release date, meaning filming was expected to begin early 2024. That said, the project was delayed in March 2024, moving back a year to an August 20, 2025, release date. With that in mind, the production of the film is also expected to be delayed by around a year.
A report aboutThe Batman 2’s filming start claimed that production would begin in April 2025…
This was supported by rumors and reports from inside the industry. A report byThe InsneideraboutThe Batman 2’s filming start claimed that production would begin in April 2025, which would give Reeves and his team more than enough time to complete the film for an October 2026 release. This report also indicated that casting updates for new characters inThe Batman - Part IIwould begin being announced online in Fall 2024. This would certainly make sense given thatThe Penguinreleases in September 2024. After this, Reeves' focus will switch toThe Batman 2, aligning with the reports of cast updates.
Other The Batman 2 Rumors Debunked By James Gunn
Since taking over as the creative lead of the DCU, James Gunn has been faced with a lot of online discourse. Interestingly, though, Gunn is a much more vocal filmmaker than many others concerning his online interactions with fans. This means that Gunn regularly shuts down many rumors before they can take flight. Several of these rumors center aroundThe Batmanuniverse, from the aforementioned speculation of the film being canceled to casting and filming rumors.
One of the bigger rumors that Gunn has addressed is thatBoyd Holbrook was cast inThe Batman 2. These reports seemed to confirm that Holbrook had been cast as Harvey Dent a.k.a. Two-Face in the upcoming movie, something Gunn debunked by simply stating"Fake.“in reply to a query onThreads. Another rumor that has been raised recently is thatThe Batman - Part IIand its sequel would film back-to-back, something Gunn also confirmed there is no truth to in the comments of anInstagrampost celebrating the comic version ofPeacemakercharacter Vigilante.
Finally, the last major piece of speculation to have taken hold of the internet which Gunn has shot down are otherrumors ofThe Batman 2’s villains. Aside from Holbrook’s apparent involvement, other reports implied that characters like Hush, Clayface, Professor Pyg, and Scarecrow were part ofThe Batman - Part II’s script. These reports also stated that Dick Grayson, a version of Batman’s trusty sidekick Robin, would be in the film. Once more, Gunn took toThreadsto debunk the rumors.
Why You Don’t Need To Be Worried About The Batman 2
Discourse Surrounding The Batman - Part II Is Simply Unnecessary
As evident from Gunn’s endless comments on the film, worries aboutThe Batman - Part IIare redundant. While many will continue to imply that the introduction of a DCU Batman will push Reeves' franchise into oblivion, nothing has been stated by Gunn, Reeves, or Warner Bros. that indicates this is a possibility. When Gunn announced his first slate for the DCU’s Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters,The Batman 2was mentioned alongsideThe Brave and the Bold, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, andSuperman. Above all else, this should put worries to rest thatThe Batman 2will be canceled.
Gunn clearly sees Reeves' franchise as one with great potential and one that is essential to the DCU, even if it is an Elseworlds project. Although the film’s delay to 2026 caused more worries, this was likely due to the production ofThe Penguinand the 2023 WGA strikes, which meant Matt Reeves could not continue working on the script. All of this points to the reality thatThe Batman - Part IIwill not be canceled, and will continue to be included as a vital part of the DCU’s future where Gotham’s Dark Knight is concerned.
The Batman Part II
Cast
The Batman Part II is the sequel to Matt Reeve’s The Batman, released in 2022, and will continue where the original film left off. The film shares a universe with the HBO Max original Penguin series and sees the return of the Riddler and a different incarnation of the Joker.
