For fans of Matt Reeves’ The Batman, it’s been a bittersweet few years. In the years since the film’s 2022 release, the reputation of the Robert Pattinson-starring adaptation of the Caped Crusader has only grown. While the film was undoubtedly a commercial and critical success upon release, it has quickly surpassed past cinematic iterations of the character for many fans and become a go-to reference point for many as one of the most artistically-accomplished comic book films of the modern era. However, in tandem with this strengthening of the film’s reputation, the planned sequel has been continuously delayed, year after year.
In addition to these delays, the entire hierarchy of the DC Universe has changed in the interim. When The Batman was released, the DCEU was still running and Reeves’ film fit snuggly alongside alternate universe takes on established characters like Todd Phillips’ Joker. However, in late 2022, it was announced that Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad filmmaker James Gunn and accomplished producer Peter Safran would be taking over at DC and kick-starting a brand-new DC cinematic universe, with all-new iterations of the brand’s iconic characters. With this change-up of leadership, it was confirmed a few of the already-in-progress sequels to earlier standalone films, like Phillips’ Joker: Folie à Deux and Reeves' The Batman Part II, would be moving ahead as ‘Elseworld’ films, disconnected from the DCU as a whole.
After years of delays, The Batman Part II's long-awaited production start timeline gives fans hope
In spite of the excitement about Matt Reeves' sequel going ahead parallel to the DCU, The Batman Part II’s production kept getting pushed back, with reports circulating that Reeves was still working on the script. Making things seem even more dire in terms of timing, Gunn and Safran announced a Batman-centered film of their own, titled The Brave and the Bold. Furthermore, Phillips’ highly anticipated Joker sequel, which the filmmaker infamously made with “zero” input from Gunn or Safran, was a critical and commercial disaster. All of this led to fans worrying that Reeves might never get to actually make his sequel, especially given just how quickly everything was changing around the Dark Knight as a character.
But fortunately, at long last, fans got confirmation just before the release of Gunn’s Superman last month that Reeves had indeed finished the script for The Batman Part II and that things were finally moving forward. Now, after years of rampant speculation and worry, it looks as though fans can well and truly rest easy, as Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav has revealed to the studio’s shareholders the good news “The Batman Part II is preparing to begin shooting next spring,” putting the film on-track for its scheduled October 1, 2027 release date.
This was included amidst the CEO’s bragging-rights victory lap within the letter about the success of Gunn’s Superman, and the fruitful launch of the DCU as a whole, insinuating that The Batman Part II is very much a priority moving forward, alongside other DC projects like Supergirl, Clayface, and Lanterns. At last, it looks as though things are happening and Matt Reeves’ The Batman Part II is actually going to become a reality.
It's been a long time coming, but we can finally say that The Dark Knight will return to the silver screen in the near-future. And it's looking like it will absolutely be worth the wait.
The Batman Part II arrives in movie theaters on October 1, 2027.
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