At the Emmys 2025 red carpet, Matt Reeves shared some exciting news about The Batman 2, the upcoming sequel to the 2022 saga, with Variety. Speaking of the script and development of the highly anticipated film, he revealed:
It’s been a long journey, but I am so incredibly excited. I’m really proud of the script me and Mattson [Tomlin] did, and we’ve started to share it with Robert [Pattinson]… Rob was super excited… We feel like we can reach farther and do even more than we did in the first one.
Filming is set to begin in Spring 2026, with Robert Pattinson returning in the lead as Batman/Bruce Wayne. The first movie followed his formative years as a vigilante superhero/detective who solves a murder mystery, unravels a shady underworld crime syndicate, and resolves himself to become a symbol of hope and survival rather than terror and vengeance for the people of Gotham.
Despite Pattinson’s vote of confidence, it is difficult to imagine how Reeves can do better than that and surpass the original.
Matt Reeves’ Comments About The Batman 2 Breathes Hope Into DC
For reasons unknown (both personal and otherwise), the script for The Batman: Part II was significantly delayed in development. But with the director’s new comments about the sequel, fans are beginning to feel the buzz of anticipation that comes with a masterpiece in the works.
At the 77th Emmy Awards, Reeves also claimed that as far as the plot of Batman 2 is concerned: “The things that it does for [Pattinson’s] character, for Batman, and for Bruce, have never been done before in this way…”
Earlier, in 2024, Reeves gave a formative look into the developing story and revealed that the sequel would focus on another murder mystery: “It’s going to dig into the epic story about deeper corruption, and it goes into places he couldn’t even anticipate in the first one.” [SFX via Comic Book Movie]
This breathes hope into the DC fandom’s mind about the sequel not veering too far away from the original film’s noir tone and grungy, atmospheric setting. Whatever tall claims Reeves may be making will all be proven valid if he can deliver a sequel that is as deserving of praise as the 2022 opus.
Can Robert Pattinson’s Sequel Really Surpass the Original Film?
Some sequels are so brilliant that they outlive the legacy of the original and exist as a greater masterpiece in pop culture memory. Films like T2: Judgment Day, The Godfather: Part II, and Mad Max: Fury Road immediately come to mind. In Batman’s case, The Dark Knight outshines Batman Begins by a mile.
It could, therefore, very well be possible for Matt Reeves to pull off a creative miracle by blending all the perfect elements of The Batman into a sequel and elevating the film to an even higher standard of excellence. But that’s just the exception to the rule.
Contrarily, the burden of expectations has been known to ruin one too many sequels, downgrading a perfectly good film to a subpar quality. Todd Phillips‘ Joker: Folie á Deux is the perfect example of this scenario. Though retaining the original lead, director, and cinematography, the script failed to revive the magic of the original.
The Batman: Part II now exists in a similar philosophical plane as Schrödinger’s Cat – neither good nor terrible, until the fans see the film in theaters. Until then, it can’t be said for certain that the sequel has surpassed the original, no matter how much Reeves has proven himself as a filmmaker in the past.
Below is a table listing all the core cast members of the 2022 film:
Which comic arc do you think will most likely be adapted into the sequel? Share your favorite Dark Knight comics in the comments below.
The Batman: Part II is scheduled to premiere on October 1, 2027.
