Key Takeaways
- The Batman Part 2 release date was delayed to October 2026 due to the actors’ and writers’ strikes.
- Director Matt Reeves is still working on the script, despite previous reports claiming it was complete.
- Reeves may need time to perfect the script to avoid poor writing seen in recent superhero films.
The Batman Part 2 release date is set for next year, but DC Studios boss James Gunn revealed that director Matt Reeves is not as far along on the much-awaited sequel as previous reports suggested.
The Batman Part 2 was announced mere months after the first installment of the rebooted franchise debuted in theaters. Plot details are unknown, but Robert Pattinson will reprise his role as the Caped Crusader alongside Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, and Colin Farrell as The Penguin. The Batman Part 2 was previously scheduled for an October 2025 release date before being delayed nearly a year. The postponement was reportedly due to the dual actors and writers’ strikes in 2023, which may have delayed Reeves’ progress on the script.
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On Threads, Gunn was asked about a past report that claimed Reeves’ The Batman Part 2 script was complete. Gunn explained that he thinks the report in question was “well-intentioned but mistaken” and added that he is looking forward to reading it. Gunn’s comments caused fan confusion because Entertainment Weekly reported that Reeves confirmed The Batman Part 2 script was finished in September 2024 (it should be noted that a direct quote by Reeves on the matter is not featured in the article, EW merely mentions that the director reportedly confirmed the news). Perhaps Reeves wanted to take another crack at The Batman Part 2 script in the two months since the EW report dropped. Regardless, according to Gunn, Reeves is still working on the screenplay.
Gunn also explained why he keeps answering questions about The Batman projects despite Reeves’ universe being separate from the DCU. Gunn explained that all DC movies, television shows, and video games are under DC Studios’ umbrella, whether they’re part of the DCU or Elseworlds. As Gunn noted, this is why he answers questions about non-DCU projects, like Reeves’ The Batman franchise, even though Reeves is active on social media and could answer them himself.
While the longer wait may be frustrating, there could be a silver lining to The Batman Part 2‘s delay. The first film was widely praised, but there are still some who believe The Batman 2 can make improvements. It’s probably best to let Reeves take as much time as he needs to perfect the script.
Lately, superhero films aren’t performing as well as they used to (with exceptions like Deadpool and Wolverine), even if they are sequels to billion-dollar hits, as seen with Joker 2‘s disastrous box office haul. Poor writing is often cited as one reason for the comic book movie genre’s lackluster performance lately, and The Batman Part 2 can avoid a similar fate if Reeves is given the freedom to deliver a worthy script.
The Batman Part 2 is scheduled to be released in theaters on October 2, 2026.
The Batman Part II
The Batman Part II is the sequel to Matt Reeve’s The Batman, released in 2022, and will continue where the original film left off. The film shares a universe with the HBO Max original Penguin series and sees the return of the Riddler and a different incarnation of the Joker.
- Director
- Matt Reeves
- Writers
- Matt Reeves
- Franchise
- Batman
- Prequel
- The Batman
- Studio(s)
- DC Studios
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Source: James Gunn/Threads