The Batman - Part IIis still years away and Robert Pattinson’s recent comments have made me slightly concerned for his future as The Dark Knight. Since theending ofThe Batman, audiences have been waiting patiently for its sequel to continue the story of Matt Reeves' highly acclaimed iteration of Gotham City and its inhabitants. Although the wait was made less excruciating thanks to the events ofThe Penguinthat fleshed outThe Batmanuniverse,The Batman 2remains a few years away as of 2024’s ending.
Regardless,updates aboutThe Batman 2have come fairly regularly despite the long wait. As production on severalmovies and shows in the DCU’s Chapter One: Gods and Monstersgets underway, Matt Reeves continues to polish his script forThe Batman - Part IIas part of the franchise’s Elseworlds branch. With these updates being provided, lead actor Robert Pattinson has been asked about his future as Gotham’s Caped Crusader, and his comments - while in jest - have concerned me slightly.
Robert Pattinson’s Comments Underline How Far Away The Batman 2 And 3 Likely Are
The Timeline Of The DCU’s Elseworlds Movies Seems Lengthy
With Reeves hard at work on the sequel’s script,Robert Pattinson was asked aboutThe Batmantrilogyas a whole. Pattinson is known for his dry humor, meaning his reply was clearly made as a joke. That said, the comment from Pattinson does highlight just how far away the two sequels toThe Batmantruly are. When asked about how the trilogy planning was going,Pattinson stated:“I could genuinely be retiring by the end of them.”Of course, Pattinson is only 38 years old and will obviously not be retiring in the foreseeable future.
The Batman Beats The Dark Knight In 1 Major Way & I’m Happy The Sequel Will Too
The Batman does one thing better than The Dark Knight, and following an exciting update, I’m looking forward to The Batman - Part II doing the same.
Nonetheless, this joke from Pattinson is sandwiched between grains of truth. Pattinson’s humor derives from the fact that the wait forThe Batman - Part IIand its sequel goes on. The former is currently scheduled for release on July 31, 2025, almost five years after the release of its predecessor on July 07, 2025. If the sequel hits this date, eyes will turn to the third movie. All we can do as hopeful fans is follow the same production timeline as the sequel, meaning I am not expectingThe Batman- Part IIIuntil 2030 at the very earliest.
James Gunn Has Confirmed The Batman Universe Isn’t Canceled But I’m Still Worried
The Sequel Is Coming, But Its Timeline & Competition Are Somewhat Worrying
Another element that has caused many - myself included, to an extent - to worry aboutThe Batmanuniverse’s future is theupcomingBatmanmoviein development as part of the mainline DCU. James Gunn confirmed that the DCU’s Batman will be introduced via an adaptation of The Brave and the Bold, telling the story of Bruce Wayne and his son, Damian, as one of the Caped Crusader’s many Robin sidekicks. The potential subconscious competition that this could breed between Gunn’s DCU and Reeves’The Batmanfranchise is not lost on me.
Gunn at least confirmed thatThe Batman’s sequels are not canceled and if this fate were to befall them, the head of DC Studios would be the first to confirm this news…
In November 2024,James Gunn addressedThe Batmanfranchisein this regard. While not necessarily giving credence to the idea of competition between the franchises, Gunn at least confirmed thatThe Batman’s sequels are not canceled and if this fate were to befall them, the head of DC Studios would be the first to confirm this news. This is, undoubtedly, a positive sign forThe Batmanuniverse, but the aforementioned timeline length could still breed some competition between Reeves' sequels and the DCU’s inevitableBatmanseries.
I’m Relieved The DC Universe Batman Movie Is Still In Development
But Still Further Away Than It Seems
Admittedly, some of my worries about the potential competition between the DCUBatmanmovie and Reeves’The Batmanuniverse were lessened by Gunn’s recent comments about the former. In a recent interview withCollider, Gunn provided the first majorDCUBatmanmovie updatein years. Thankfully, Gunn confirmed that the project is still in development, though also insisted it is no further along than when it was first unveiled in January 2023. The reason for this stems from the movie’s script, which Gunn insists he and his team are still trying to perfect before placing the project in active development.
This confirms that the DCU’sBatmanis further behind in development thanThe Batman - Part II, which itself is still some years away. Although I am glad the DCU’s Brave and the Bold project is still going ahead, this longer timeline lessens the aforementioned worries I had aboutThe Batman 2.All of this means that both movies are unlikely to overlap, giving Reeves' franchise the room to breathewithout the possibility of general audiences feeling like they have to choose between the two.
Why I Hope Robert Pattinson’s The Batman 3 Happens No Matter What
There Needs To Be Room For Both Franchises
Putting aside any worries I have regardingThe Batmanfranchise, the DCU’sBatmanmovies, and their potential overlap, I am under the impression thatThe Batman - Part IIIneeds to happen regardless. The reason for this links predominantly to the obvious attractions Reeves' universe possesses over not only other superhero movies butBatmanmovies in particular. One of the biggest strengths of the franchise is its grounded and gritty tone. Its depiction of Gotham, the DC characters within the location, and the stories involving them provide a more realistic take than others in the genre.
Whether it be the more lighthearted fare of the MCU or even the more hopeful story thatJames Gunn’sSupermanis expected to be,The Batmanoffers a unique set of stories that many other franchises do not. Similarly, the DCU’sBatmanfranchise is expected to incorporate the more fantastical elements of The Dark Knight’s source material, providing a clear distinction between it and Reeves’The Batmanuniverse. This differentiation makesThe Batmanseries a perfect counterpoint to so many other superhero franchises, whether they be from Marvel, DC, or otherwise.
The Batman even differentiates itself from other gritty franchises likeThe Dark KnightorJokerthanks to the more unrealistic, comic-book version of Gotham providing a perfect contrast with the serious stories being told.
Besides the unique toneThe Batmanstrikes, several other surface-level elements prove that the franchise’s third installment should happen. Firstly,The Batman’s cast membersoffer intriguing, interesting looks at DC’s iconic characters. The likes of Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright, and Colin Farrell, to name but a few, are standouts of the franchise, and I cannot wait to see how the trilogy continues their character arcs by getting the best out of the actors' great performances.
Behind the camera, there is also an insane amount of talent that warrantsThe Batmantrilogy being completed. Reeves' writing allows the detective-noir vibe of the franchise to shine through, all while providing the aforementioned compelling characters and their stories. His direction is assured also and is only matched by the outstanding depiction of Gotham via the film’s production design and the beautiful cinematography of Greig Fraser. For all of these reasons, the franchise is more than worthy of a conclusion, meaningThe Batman - Part IIandPart IIImust happen in the future.
The Batman Part II
Cast
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.
