Matt Reeves' The Batman - Part II is on track to surpass the director's first DC installment in every way. Matt Reeves' The Batman released in 2022 to unanimous praise, holding an 85% Critics Score and an 87% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes, and gathering $772 million worldwide. Despite not connecting to the DCEU or the DCU, The Batman's success led to the development of two sequels and several spinoff shows, though only one of these spinoff series entered production. Now, HBO's The Penguin series and The Batman - Part II are set to continue building Matt Reeves' DC franchise.
Following The Batman's 2022 release, The Batman - Part II has been developed for two years. No teaser or trailer has been released yet, and few updates about have been provided beyond its October 2, 2026 release date. The Batman - Part II's main villain continues to be the subject of rumors and fan theories, as The Batman's ending and post-credits scene introduced the Joker, while Todd Phillips' Joker: Folie a Deux seems to be introducing Harvey Dent and Andy Muschietti's The Brave and the Bold will introduce its own version of a yet unconfirmed Gotham villain.
The Batman 2's Co-Writer Update Is Huge For The Upcoming Sequel
The Batman - Part II Is Confirmed To Begin Filming In 2025
Speaking to Screen Rant, writer Mattson Tomlin confirmed that The Batman - Part II will begin filming in 2025. Tomlin is co-writing the sequel with director Matt Reeves. According to him, " the bar just couldn't be higher" as Matt Reeves "is a true artist who is operating in a world where sometimes art doesn't get to flourish, and he's trying to make something that really matters." Mattsom Tomlin's comments suggests that The Batman - Part II is perfectly on track in every area, and that it will have plenty of time to complete post-production and meet its October 2026 release date.
Although 2022's The Batman was successful with critics and audiences, it didn't have the smoothest production. Original plans for The Batman set it in the DCEU with Ben Affleck starring and directing. However, the original The Batman project eventually had to restart from scratch and eventually transformed into a self-contained title. Matt Reeves almost didn't direct The Batman due to his commitment to War for the Planet of the Apes, and when he finally joined the film, the pandemic started. Fortunately, The Batman was a massive success, and both The Penguin and The Batman - Part II are gearing up for a similar performance.
Matt Reeves' The Batman 2 Updates Make The Release Even More Promising
Matt Reeves Is Also Satisfied With The Batman - Part II's Production Process
Shortly after Mattson Tomlin's comments, The Batman - Part II director Matt Reeves shared an update about the film's production. When asked by a fan on X about the sequel, Matt Reeves revealed that The Batman - Part II is in active production, and that he's "really excited" about it. It seems like the whole team is pleased with the production's pace, which is a good omen for the final product. If The Batman was such a solid movie with a somewhat troubled behind-the-scenes, then The Batman - Part II will probably be even better.
Matt Reeves' The Batman distanced itself from this negative streak, and The Batman - Part II will likely build upon the first movie's success.
DC movies in general haven't had a good track in several years. From Zack Snyder's infamously troubled Justice League that led to the Snyder Cut to the box office bombs Wonder Woman 1984, Black Adam, Shazam: Fury of the Gods, and The Flash, to the well-received but low-performing The Suicide Squad, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, most DC films went through many obstacles since around 2016. Matt Reeves' The Batman distanced itself from this negative streak, and The Batman - Part II will likely build upon the first movie's success.
Why The Batman 2 Is Already Set Up To Be Even Better Than The First
The Batman Franchise Prioritizes A Director's Artistic Vision Instead Of A Cinematic Universe
Matt Reeves' The Batman franchise survived the DCU reboot as a self-contained Elseworlds continuity, standing apart from every interconnected movie and show in James Gunn's " Gods and Monsters " chapter, which includes the debut of the DCU's Batman. The Batman - Part II will continue the plot and worldbuilding established in The Batman and The Penguin, with all focus placed on the sequel's present story and characters. This is a breath of fresh air in the era of cinematic universes, enhanced even further with very defined cinematography, score, sound design, and editing that don't have to fit uniformly with other superhero projects.
The Batman - Part II also benefits from the return of the same creative team as the first installment. A superhero trilogy helmed by a single director and a single passionate creative team already happened in the past, and it definitely paid off. Christopher Nolan's critically-acclaimed Dark Knight trilogy had two record-breaking installments and one movie that is constantly referred to as one of the most influential comic book movies of all time: The Dark Knight, which perfected Batman Begins' formula. Eighteen years later, the same could happen with Matt Reeves' The Batman - Part II.
