James Gunn and Peter Safran’s big-screen DCU is about to take shape, with characters like Superman and Blue Beetle already set to join it. As that franchise gets off the ground though, fans surely remember that DC Studios has an excellent separate continuity on its hands. I’m talking about the world of The Batman, which was created by writer/director Matt Reeves. Fans are anxiously awaiting specific details on the sequel and, as of right now, they’ve been few and far between. Take heart, though, Bat-fans, Reeves himself has provided an update on the next film and dropped a few tidbits regarding one of his main goals for the production.
The Batman – Part II (or The Batman 2) is set to continue the story of Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne as he continues his crusade against crime in Gotham City. Matt Reeves has seemed very enthusiastic about telling more stories within this world, and he’s quite proud of what he and his colleagues accomplished with the first film. He recently recalled some of his behind-the-scenes experiences while appearing on the Team Deakins podcast. While discussing that sweet chase scene involving the Batmobile, he shouted out his colleagues, before he mentioned the upcoming follow-up film:
I have had so many wonderful collaborators to work with, and when you find someone who you love working with, you just wanna [say,] ‘Come on, please, let’s just keep working together … How much farther can we push it?’ Like, I’ve been talking to [cinematographer Greig Fraser] about – I’m trying to write the next movie now with my partner, and we’re doing this thing – and he’s going, ‘Let’s just push it farther.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, that would be really exciting to do.’
So it would seem that the next installment in the series is still in the writing phase, which makes sense. Of course, what has me the most excited is the fact that the Cloverfield helmer and his collaborators are indeed looking to push the envelope with this one. That’s saying a lot given what they did with the OG flick. On the one hand, the filmmaker is surely referring to heightened action sequences and set pieces. And on the other, there’s likely increased stakes for the titular hero and those in his orbit. The Batman had incredible action, but the drama present amongst the characters was particularly gripping. So I’m very curious to see how the creative team top themselves.
One of the things we know about The Batman – Part II is that Matt Reeves is penning the screenplay with Mattson Tomlin, who did uncredited work on its 2022 predecessor. Though Reeves hasn’t spoken too much about his work on this latest film, he did reveal one mistake that he seeks to avoid with the sequel. He’s aiming not to overload the story with villains and essentially have the Dark Knight take a backseat in the process. Speaking of the Rogues Gallery, rumors have been swirling on that front. One of the most recent reports alleges that Joel Edgerton and Josh Hartnett are in the running for Two-Face. That’s far from confirmed, of course, but the notion of either one playing the role is intriguing.
What we can say with certainty in regard to baddies and the franchise’s future is that it'll also expand with The Penguin, a TV spinoff centered on the seedy crime boss Colin Farrell plays. The trailer teased the villain's war to control Gotham and, though we haven’t seen much, what was revealed looks promising. The ongoing writers strike could change things, but the show is set to debut in 2024 (and will be streamable with a Max subscription).
We still have some time before we get to the second chapter in the saga’s main story, though I’m willing to wait. Matt Reeves, Greig Fraser and their team already seem to know what they want for the upcoming feature, and I’d rather them take their time with pre-production. Let’s hope they are indeed able to hit their goal of upping the ante for their next superhero outing.
The Batman – Part II is scheduled to open in theaters on October 3, 2025 and, while you wait, you can stream the first film on Max. Also, check out the schedule of 2023 new movie releases for news on films arriving by the end of this year.
