Everything You Need To Know About The Batman: Part II

This post contains spoilers for "The Batman"

In 2022, Matt Reeves debuted his noirish take on the Dark Knight with "The Batman," and Robert Pattinson's emo Caped Crusader proved popular, raking in over half a billion dollars at the global box office and prompting Warner Bros. to green-light a sequel.

In the time since we've seen the studio revamp plans for its forthcoming superhero movies after James Gunn and Peter Safran took over the newly-christened DC Studios. And while it seemed the logical thing for DC to do would have been to invest in more unconnected, standalone projects, Gunn and Safran had other plans, announcing a slate of new DC movies that constitute phase one of their grand plan for a shared cinematic universe.

With production underway on the HBO Max Penguin spinoff series, Reeves will soon expand his unique vision, fleshing out other Gothamites' stories before his big sequel to "The Batman," simply titled "The Batman: Part II" arrives. And if you're wondering how long you have to wait for "The Batman: Part II," what the film will be about, who's in it, or generally just want to know everything there is to know about this blockbuster sequel, all you need to do is scroll down.

In January 2023, James Gunn and Peter Safran revealed their planned slate of DC movies, taking pains to convey that Matt Reeves' ongoing Batman projects, which Gunn termed "The Batman Crime Saga," would not be sidelined. To that end, the pair revealed the official title for the film as "The Batman: Part II" and confirmed a release date of October 3, 2025.

As we well know by now, planned release dates often change, and it's highly likely that will be the case with "The Batman: Part II" as its release draws nearer. But thanks to "The Batman" executive producer Michael Uslan, we know things are on-track so far. In a since-removed Instagram post (via MovieWeb), the veteran producer confirmed that production on "The Batman: Part II" would begin on November 23, 2023, providing no further details.

If filming does get underway in November, that would provide Matt Reeves and his team with ample time to bring everything together. "The Batman" shot from January 2020 to March 2021, but production was hampered by the pandemic and had to shut down multiple times. Reeves re-shot footage in July 2021, and had his film ready for its March 2022 release, after just over two years of production. If DC and Warner Bros. stick to the October 2025 release date, and with the pandemic being much less of an issue this time around, "The Batman: Part II," should also have around two years of production, so we're confident it will arrive sometime around that planned fall release date, even if it does move slightly.

At this point, very little is known about the plot of "The Batman: Part II." Matt Reeves confirmed he was working on the sequel back in January of 2023 when he claimed he was, "deep in it" and, "really excited about what we're doing." Unfortunately, that was pretty much all he revealed at the time, and there have been no developments in terms of specific plot points since then.

That said, we can make some informed assumptions. At the end of "The Batman," we saw Paul Dano's Riddler vanquished, Pattinson's Batman completing his arc from selfish vigilante to selfless symbol of hope, and Colin Farrell's Oz/Penguin surveying the flooded city he plans to take over in the wake of mob boss Carmine Falcone (John Turturro)'s death. We'll see how that particular plan works out in the Craig Zobel-helmed "The Penguin" on HBO Max. Elsewhere, Zoe Kravitz's Selina Kyle/Catwoman skipped town. while Batman and Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) strengthened their crime-fighting partnership over the course of their crusade against The Riddler.

Much of what happens in "The Batman: Part II" will have to do with what transpires in "The Penguin" series, which, as per Deadline's report on the show's announcement, will pick up where the movie left off. Reeves also confirmed to Collider that the first season will lead directly into his sequel movie. Of course, "The Batman" ended with Falcone's death leaving a power vacuum in Gotham — one which Oz (who's yet to fully embrace the Penguin monicker) was keen to fill. Whether he's successful will likely be revealed in his HBO show, but either way, it looks like Robert Pattinson's Batman will have to contend with him in some form in "The Batman: Part II."

While there are plenty of characters we'd love to see in "The Batman: Part II," there are some villains that make more sense than others. Just weeks after "The Batman" debuted, Reeves released a deleted scene that gave us our first glimpse at Barry Keoghan's Joker. Though it was a strangely anti-climactic way to introduce his version of Batman's greatest foe, it's possible Keoghan's Clown Prince of Crime will figure into "The Batman: Part II" more heavily.

Otherwise, Batman's use of a green liquid to reinvigorate himself at the end of "The Batman" was strangely familiar to many a Bat-fan as venom — the same thing used by Bane to gain his superior strength. That's just a theory at this point, but it could be that Reeves has plans to introduce the hulking Batman foe in forthcoming films, if not "The Batman: Part II." Then, there's the obvious inclusion of the word "Hush" in Riddler's video from that first movie, suggesting the classic Batman villain of the same name could be making an appearance in the near future. And, of course, the death of District Attorney Gil Coulson has left a conspicuous, Harvey Dent-shaped hole in Gotham's judicial branch.

Whoever the main antagonist, or antagonists, turn out to be, Reeves has warned that we shouldn't expect the villains to take center stage in "The Batman: Part II," owing to the fact that the director is, in his own words, trying to deliver, "point-of-view stories that allow the character to always be the emotional center of the story," and avoid letting Rogues Gallery characters come in and, "take over, and then Batman takes a backseat." You may well see separate movies from the director that are focused on Batman villains, however.

One thing about "The Batman: Part II" that is pretty much confirmed is that James Gunn and Peter Safran will be staying well clear of Matt Reeves and his "crime saga." The director will be left alone to once again craft his own vision of Gotham as an "Elseworlds" story, totally separate from the forthcoming shared DC Universe. Gunn confirmed as much to DC.com, saying, "'The Batman' is its own thing. Matt's hard at work on it. He came in and pitched us some amazing stuff the other day, so our plan is for that to continue."

Meanwhile, fellow DC Studios head Peter Safran reassured fans that "The Batman: Part II" won't be the stepchild of his and Gunn's new DC universe, suggesting Reeves has the full support of DC and Warner Bros., even while his films and TV shows won't contribute to building the main shared universe.

All of which is a good thing. There were so many movies that inspired "The Batman," from "Se7en" to "Taxi Driver," and it made for a truly original take on the character and his city. Previously, Reeves carefully constructed his version of Gotham by using sound stages and shooting on location in the UK and Chicago. And with the director being given free rein for the sequel, it wouldn't be a surprise if he once again returns to the British isles to make use of Liverpool and Glasgow's gothic architecture. Whatever his plan for "The Batman: Part II," it seems it should come together in a similarly unimpeded form to "The Batman."

While many details remain unclear, you can guarantee Robert Pattinson will be back in the lead role for "The Batman: Part II." With James Gunn confirming a new Batman and Robin will appear in a "Brave And The Bold" movie, there was initially some confusion over Pattinson's future. But with Gunn and Peter Safran stating that the Reevesverse is safe for the future, expect to see the actor in everything Bat-related that Reeves churns out.

Solid bets for other returning characters include Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright), Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), and Oz/Penguin (Colin Farrell). Though Zoe Kravitz's Selina Kyle/Catwoman left Gotham at the end of "The Batman," she could very well return, and Paul Dano's Riddler, who's now locked up in Arkham Asylum, could easily pop up again, perhaps in a brief cameo à la Cillian Murphy's Scarecrow in "The Dark Knight" and "The Dark Knight Rises." Then there's Barry Keoghan's Joker, who we expect to see more of in "The Batman: Part II," even if he too shows up in cameo form.

Reeves is once again overseeing the project, writing and directing "The Batman: Part II" and tapping his former collaborator, Mattson Tomlin, to help pen the screenplay. Tomlin, who is also adapting Keanu Reeves' comic book "BRZRKR" for Netflix, went uncredited for his contribution to "The Batman" script, but in August 2022 it was announced he would be officially co-writing "The Batman; Part II"

Other crew is yet to be confirmed but it's likely Reeves will bring back cinematographer Greig Fraser, who was so central to crafting the eerie noirish tone of Gotham in "The Batman." That also goes for composer Michael Giacchino, whose striking score for the first outing had a touch of the personal included.

Long before "The Batman" debuted, Matt Reeves revealed he had plans for a trilogy of Batman movies. And it seems James Gunn gave him the go-ahead to realize those plans. In his and Peter Safran's DC slate announcement, Gunn confirmed that "The Batman: Part II" will indeed be the second film in a planned trilogy, and that he views Reeves' Batman films and TV shows as part of "The Batman Crime Saga."

As with all things Hollywood, whether that trilogy does in fact play out as Reeves plans it will likely depend on how "The Batman: Part II" performs at the box office and how well "The Penguin" is received when it launches on HBO Max. For now, though, there are big plans in place for Reeves' Elseworlds saga, and if things stay the way they are, we should be immersed in a cavalcade of Batman-related projects from the "Cloverfield" director in the coming years.

We'll be updating this page as more information becomes available, so make sure to check back in the near future for all the latest on "The Batman: Part II."