Born as a result of Ben Affleck stepping back from the DCEU, Matt Reeves’ The Batman shocked everyone in 2022 when it first came out. Not only did the film dare to go farther and darker than what Christopher Nolan managed to do, but Reeves also made a fairly compelling stand-alone Batman film that shed new light on the early days of the Caped Crusader. Let's try to take a look at The Batman 2 - What to Expect:
The Batman was a monumental critical and commercial success at a time when the DC Extended Universe was struggling to stay afloat. This prompted Warner Bros to quickly greenlight a sequel with the original creative team returning. With Gotham submerged under the flood at the end of The Batman, the sequel will presumably take place in the light of this calamity, with Batman expected to navigate the resultant chaos born from this disaster and from the decapitation of some of the crime families of Gotham, as shown in the first film.
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At the same time, it is important to remember that there is already a sequel/spinoff to The Batman in the form of The Penguin. This is an HBO Max mini series, created and produced by Reeves, that takes place in the same Batman universe with Colin Farrell reprising his Penguin role from The Batman. The Penguin focuses on Oz Cob as he navigates the criminal underworld in the aftermath of the flood. Narrative threads from the show are expected to make way into the film with Farell reprising his role in the sequel.
Although Reeves started writing The Batman 2 two years ago, his various commitments with The Penguin and other (now cancelled) Batman spin-offs have meant that the script is still not finished. Nevertheless, some of the cast of the sequel is set. Robert Pattinson will return, and so will Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Gordon and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth. Since Zoe Kravitz’s Selina Kyle was such a huge part of the first film, she might also be confirmed down the line. As the script of the film is still not finished, additional cast members have yet to be cast. Also, there is no word on who the villain is supposed to be this time around.
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Back in 2022, Reeves shocked everyone when he unveiled a deleted clip from the film featuring Barry Keoghan as the Joker. Revealing that he cut the cameo so that it did not detract from the film’s main villain, the Riddler, it remains to be seen if Keoghan will return as the Joker in the sequel. Both Pattinson and Keoghan have played coy when they have been asked about the matter, but it makes sense for the Joker to return in some capacity, considering the sheer impact and terror the character will bring to the film.
The Court of Owls has been heavily rumored to make an appearance in the sequel, and when Matt Reeves was asked about them at the Golden Globes this year, he played coy and revealed that the villain of the sequel is surprising. This implies the audience will not be able to predict who is playing the bad guy until Matt reveals it down the line.
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The Batman 2 was supposed to release this year, but continued script delays have forced the film back to 2027. Some fans were worried that the film might not make it altogether in the face of James Gunn’s rebooted DC universe, which is looking to cast its own singular Batman for the franchise. The new Warner brass believes that multiple Batmen running around make the audience confused, and thus, one character should only be played by one actor across all media. With James Gunn waiting for Reeves to finish his Batman trilogy, chances are high that Matt Reeves will make his 2027 release date for The Batman 2.
