Matt Reeves gives another update on “The Batman Part II” that is leaving fans wondering about the future of the trilogy. The sequel to the 2022 film starring Robert Pattinson was set to release in 2025, but has been delayed three times so far. Alongside the announcement of the postponement, Reeves has released new test footage of Pattinson as Batman. Here is what we know so far.
The Various Batman Delays
GettyThe initial release date for “The Batman Part II” was in October 2025, three years after “The Batman” release. However, the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes pushed the release date back one year to October 2nd 2026. The second delay was announced by DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn. This one pushed the film’s box office debut to October 1st 2027.
The second delay caused major backlash amongst DC fans who were awaiting the upcoming sequel. Gunn addressed the backlash in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. During which, he was asked about the latest news of “The Batman Part II” and its script. He said, “Matt’s excited. I talk to Matt all the time. I’m totally excited about it. So we can’t wait to read the scripts, but we haven’t read it yet, if that’s your question.”
When talking about the controversy surrounding the delays, Gunn defended Reeves: “People should get off Matt’s nuts because it’s like, let the guy write the screenplay in the amount of time he needs to write it. That’s just the way it is,” he said. “He doesn’t owe you something because you like his movie. I mean, you like his movie because of Matt. So let Matt do things the way he does.”
His final thoughts expressed his “irritation” with people who were overly critical of Reeves. “But I am irritated by people. I mean, it’s just that thing people don’t need to be entitled about. It’s going to come out when he feels good about the screenplay.” Though he also says that the online commentary doesn’t bother Reeves.
The third delay was announced recently, with the new release date set for February 18th, 2028.
James Gunn’s Defense of the Six-Year Gap
GettyAccording to Variety, James Gunn defended the years-long gap between the first and second Batman film after the third postponement. He cited the “Alien” films, “Terminator,” and the “Avatar” franchise. The latter had a 13-year gap between the first and second movies.
Gunn also referenced his own “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise, which had a three-year gap between the first and second film, and a six-year gap between the second and third films.
The Most Recent Delay
With the announcement of the four-month delay of “The Batman Part II” also came a brand-new teaser trailer. The short clip is a camera test for the film featuring a close-up of Robert Pattinson. The camera test doesn’t reveal anything about the film, but you can see flaming chaos behind Batman.
There isn’t much known about the plot of “The Batman Part II,” but new cast members are joining the film. According to IMDb, the confirmed cast includes Robert Pattinson as Batman, Colin Farrell as The Penguin, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, and Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon. There are also new cast members who don’t have confirmed characters as of yet. This includes Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Brian Tyree Henry, and Barry Keoghan.
Sebastian Stan is rumored to play either Harvey Dent/Two Face or Victor Zsasz. Barry Keoghan has been rumored to play The Joker since the first Batman film was released, and many believe he will be the main villain for part two. There is no information or rumors on who the other new cast members will portray.
The newest delay leaves fans anticipating whether “The Batman Part II” will finally release in 2028, or be pushed back once more.
