‘The Batman Part II’: Matt Reeves Confirms Sequel Will Shoot Next Year, Shoots Down Gentleman Ghost Rumors

“The Penguin” hits Max later this month on September 19, which sees Colin Farrell reprise his role as gangster Oswald Cobblepot from 2022’s “The Batman.” That means Matt Reeves will start production on that film’s sequel soon, right? Yes, indeed. Variety reports that the director confirmed to SFX Magazine that “we’re finished up the script now” for “The Batman Part II,” and “the plan is to shoot next year.” That makes sense, as Warner Bros. currently has the sequel set for an October 2, 2026 theatrical release; plenty of time for Reeves to shoot and edit his blockbuster.

READ MORE: ‘The Batman 2′: Matt Reeves’ Sequel Delayed A Year Until October 2026

And, as expected, Farrell’s Penguin plays a significant role in the upcoming film. “Colin will be part of the movie,” Reeves confirmed about the actor’s return. “We’ve shared [the script] as we’ve been going along with DC and the studio, and they’re super excited.” Think of “The Penguin” series as a bridge between Reeves’ two films, then; a standalone show that expands Gotham’s criminal underworld while also serving as an “entry point” for “The Batman Part II.” “There are details that actually connect right into the way the next movie begins,” Reeves continued, “and the way that Oz enters that world as we hand the baton back to Batman, and Batman is on another case.”

But Reeves wouldn’t give further plot details on the upcoming sequel, except that it’s “going to dig into the epic story about deeper corruption, and it goes into places that [Batman] couldn’t anticipate in the first one.” “The seeds of where this goes are all in the first movie,” teased Reeves. “It expands in a way that will show you aspects of the character you never got to see.” So it sounds like the corruption The Riddler’s plot unearthed in “The Batman” is just the tip of the iceberg regarding Gotham’s (and the Wayne family’s) deeply buried secrets. “Batman is constantly battling these forces. But those forces can’t be entirely exorcised. So the next movie delves deeper into that,” added Reeves.

Fans knew Farrell’s Penguin would return for “The Batman Part II,” but did Reeves hint at the sequel’s main villain? No, but he did confirm someone from Batman’s rogues gallery that won’t turn up: Gentleman Ghost.  In short, the supernatural bad guy isn’t grounded enough for Reeves’ depiction of Gotham City. “What was important to me was to find a way to take these pop icons, these mythical characters that everybody knows, and translate it so that Gotham feels like a place in our world,” Reeves said. “We might push to the edge of the fantastical but we would never go into full fantastical. It’s meant to feel quite grounded. It doesn’t mean that you won’t see characters that people love. That’s exactly what we want to do. Gentleman Ghost is probably pushed a bit too far for us to be able to find a way to do [that].”

So feel free to speculate away who Robert Pattinson‘s Batman will face off against in Reeves’ sequel.  Barry Keoghan‘s Joker is an obvious choice given his brief cameo in the 2022 film, but who else fits the bill as a villain grounded enough for this take on the Caped Crusader? Consider that one of the film’s many unknown, as it’s unclear if Zoë Kravitz‘s Catwoman or Andy Serkis‘ Alfred will be back either. But expect Reeves and Warner Bros. to assemble the best cast possible for “The Batman Part II,” as the 2022 film made $772.2 million, good for the seventh-highest grossing film of its year.

In the meantime, check out the latest trailer for “The Penguin,” which premieres on Max on September 19.