After numerous delays, ‘The Batman Part II‘ will shoot next year. At least that’s what Warner Bros. Discovery says, according to a new report from THR.
A letter to shareholders from the studios confirmed that Matt Reeves will start shooting his long-awaited sequel in Spring 2006, on pace for its current theatrical release on October 1, 2027. Reeves finished his script for the film earlier this summer, promising a story about the “deeper corruption” of Gotham City, but one that isn’t “full fantastical” and “quite grounded.” In Batman lore, that could mean any number of things, so let’s not speculate on possible villains or the return of Barry Keoghan‘s Joker just yet.
Instead, let’s focus on Robert Pattinson‘s return as Bruce Wayne/The Dark Knight. The actor has a full schedule before he shoots “The Batman Part II,” including blockbusters like Christopher Nolan‘s “The Odyssey” and Denis Villeneuve‘s “Dune 3.” It’s not clear who else from Reeves’ 2022 film will return for the sequel, but it’s safe to expect that Jeffrey Wright‘s Gordon, Colin Farrell‘s The Penguin, and Andy Serkis‘ Alfred to reprise their roles. As for Zoë Kravitz‘s Catwoman? That’s a toss-up.
But news on “The Batman Part II” wasn’t the only DC Studios update in the WBD shareholders’ letter. CEO David Zaslav also confirmed that James Gunn will indeed “write the next installment in the Super family.” The upcoming film will hit theaters after “Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow,” “Clayface,” and the new “Wonder Woman,” but details on the project remain scant. Still, Zaslav confirming the project means that WBD fully intends to capitalize on the box office success of Gunn’s “Superman” this summer. “DC Studio’s universe of characters represents not only one of Warner Bros. Discovery’s most valuable pieces of intellectual property, but one of the most valuable assets in entertainment,” continued Zaslav’s statement.
So, which will come first: Reeves’ “The Batman” sequel or Gunn’s Superfamily one? The safe bet is Reeves’ film, but its track record of delays don’t guarantee it’ll hold its October 2027 release date. Gunn defended Reeves late last year on social media after fan backlash about the five-year gap between the two Pattinson “Batman” films. To be fair, a 5 year gap or more is fairly common in sequels,” said the DC Studios co-head. “7 years between “Alien” and “Aliens.” 14 years between “Incredibles.” 7 years between the first two “Terminators.” 13 years between “Avatars.” 36 years between “Top Guns.” And, of course, 6 years between “Guardians Vol 2” and “Vol 3.””
“People should get off Matt’s nuts because it’s like, let the guy write the screenplay in the amount of time he needs to write it,” Gunn continued. “That’s just the way it is. He doesn’t owe you something because you like his movie. I mean, you like his movie because of Matt. So let Matt do things the way he does.”
Elsewhere in the DCU, other projects remain in development, like “Swamp Thing“ and another new Batman flick, Andy Muschietti‘s “The Brave And The Bold.” When those projects get released feel like bigger question marks than Reeves’ “The Batman Part II” at this point. But in any case, Gunn’s ten-year plan for DC Studios is slowly coming into focus, and his next “Super” film is part of it. Let’s see how it all pans out.
