James Gunn debunks major DC rumor about The Batman Part II

Could The Batman II be adding the second half of the Dynamic Duo? The sequel could introduce a key Batman character if one report turns out to be true.

The Batman was a monster hit in 2022 as Matt Reeves brought a fresh take to the Caped Crusader. Robert Pattinson played Bruce Wayne and his masked alter ego in a tale focusing on a flawed and troubled Dark Knight protecting Gotham from threats like The Riddler (Paul Dano). It all culminated in a massive flooding of Gotham City.

The story was expanded on in the HBO drama The Penguin with Colin Farrell reprising his film role as the crime boss. That ended with a hint of Batman returning. Work on the sequel has been delayed by various factors, such as the 2023 Hollywood strikes, with the current release date set for October 1, 2027.

Not much is known about the film so far aside from how it will bring back Pattinson's Dark Knight, Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon, Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Andy Serkis as Alfred and Farrell's Penguin. While the first film teased the the involvement of The Joker (Barry Keoghan), it’s unclear if he’ll be coming back for this film. 

Now, a major Hollywood insider hints that The Batman II will live up to its title with the introduction of the second half of the Dynamic Duo!

James Gunn calls The Batman II's Robin rumor "nonsense"

Noted Hollywood insider Jeff Sneider shared his latest newsletter, which claims that The Batman II will introduce Robin to the storyline. He describes the script as a “big swing” from Reeves and co-writer Mattson Tomlin.

However, James Gunn has since responded to the rumor via a post on Threads, denying the report and even calling the speculation "nonsense." This could be true or it could be Gunn wanting to keep a Robin appearance quiet.

It is hard to imagine Batman without Robin. A couple of early drafts of the Tim Burton movies did have Robin coming in (and that ultimately came to life in the Batman '89 sequel comics). Chris O'Donnell played the part in Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever and Batman and Robin. The Dark Knight Rises ended with the twist in how Joseph Gordon Levitt’s cop Blake revealed his real first name was Robin. 

If the Boy Wonder does arrive in Matt Reeves' The Batman Part II, it's currently unclear which version of Robin this would be. While Dick Grayson is the most famous, there’s also Jason Todd, Tim Drake and even female Robins like Stephanie Brown or Carrie Kelly. That’s a lot of potential for a new twist on the character who may be less the wisecracking Boy Wonder than a serious fighter Batman has to train. 

Bringing in Robin would be a bold move for this film, as The Batman was a more grounded take on the property. Having a young sidekick along for the ride would be a bit unusual, and a question of whether this means the sequel will be more like the comics. 

It should be noted that the Reeves movies are considered separate from James Gunn’s DC Universe, which is brewing its own Batman and Robin film The Brave and the Bold, with Andy Muschietti directing (Damian Wayne is expected to be the Robin in this particular story). It may be that the movie uses a more comic-friendly Batman and Robin and Reeves is given the freedom for a more realistic take in his film (which falls under the “Elseworlds” banner for DC Comics films). 

Again, Gunn's denial indicates this was just another rumor that got out of hand or perhaps the scoop came from an earlier draft of the script that has since changed. Yet the idea of Reeves tackling the Dynamic Duo in this sequel makes the wait for The Batman Part II feel even longer for fans. However, it will undoubtedly be worth it in the end.

The Batman Part II premieres in theaters October 1, 2027.

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