‘The Batman Part II’ Movie: Release Date, Filming, Cast, News, and More

The Batman Part II has had a rough go of it. The Matt Reeves-directed film has been delayed multiple times, with the last announcement being that the film would be released in 2025. However, the newest announcement confirms that the film has been delayed yet another year, with the premiere now set for October 2, 2026.

Filming was planned to begin in London in August 2024. That timeline has now been pushed into 2025.

Following the success of the first movie starring Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader, it’s not surprising a sequel was greenlit. The ending seemed poised to set up a future film, especially with the tease of a possible inclusion of one of Batman’s most famous adversaries, the Joker (played ever-so-creepily by Barry Keoghan).

With a MAX spinoff series already in the works for one of the characters, here’s what we know about the upcoming The Batman Part II movie.

The Batman Part II Movie Is Confirmed and Will Film in 2025

Warner Bros. announced a sequel shortly after The Batman was a commercial success (as well as a huge hit with film critics). Along with a sequel, now dubbed The Batman Part II, the studio also announced plans to introduce multiple spinoff series from the film. There was a potential series based on the infamous Arkham Asylum and the now-canceled plans for a show about the Gotham City Police Department. A spinoff based on The Penguin has also been confirmed and is in the works.

Since taking over the DC cinematic universe, James Gunn confirmed Matt Reeves will be writing and directing two more The Batman movies. The confirmation came when many DC series franchises, like the Arrowverse, had concluded. Gunn also clarified that Reeves’ The Batman and its related spinoffs remain separate from the main DC cinematic universe. The Batman films, as well as Teen Titans, Go, and Superman and Lois, are under DC Elseworlds.

In September 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery reportedly prioritized the completion of the script. This came after the WGA strike was resolved in the same month since going on strike back in May 2023.

Who Will Return for The Sequel?

So far, Robert Pattinson is confirmed to reprise his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman in the film. Andy Serkis is also most likely to reprise his role as Alfred Pennyworth, given how essential Alfred is in Bruce Wayne’s world. Zoe Kravitz may likely return as Selina Kyle/Catwoman. But it would also not be surprising if she didn’t appear in the follow-up, considering what happened in the first movie.

Colin Farrell is also expected to come back as Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin. Farrell’s return to the role follows the upcoming MAX streaming series on his character. Jeffrey Wright is also returning as Jim Gordon.

Barry Keoghan may also emerge as one of the leads for the sequel as the Joker in The Batman Part II. However, Reeves has warned against fans assuming that the Joker would be the main villain for the sequel. Keoghan has also been vague about potentially appearing in the film.

“I can’t really say anything about it, but it would be exciting, wouldn’t it? Seeing the Joker come to life again. My smile says it all, you know what that means,” Keoghan said in a recent interview with ETalk.

Paul Dano may also be reprising his role as The Riddler in The Batman Part II. Dano previously revealed that if The Batman Part II wanted to explore The Riddler more, he would “probably be there.”

Additionally, on the creative side, Reeves confirmed that Greig Frasier would also return as the cinematographer.

What Will the Story Be for The Batman Part II?

While the plot of the film remains under tight wraps, we can only speculate what might happen. In The Batman, The Riddler befriended the Joker in Arkham Asylum, suggesting a possible alliance between the two rogues. The Joker tells a riddle hinting at the Court of Owls, a long-running criminal organization run by Gotham’s wealthiest. Batman/Bruce Wayne’s voiceover suggests that Gotham will rebuild itself, but the chaos and corruption will remain high after Carmine Falcone’s death.

As said earlier, Keoghan’s version of the Joker may return for The Batman Part II. While the character only appeared in the film’s final scene, he had a longer cut in a deleted scene. That scene, which was released on YouTube (featured below with Reeves’ commentary), featured a five-minute interaction between Batman and the Joker. It wasn’t included in the final release as the studios felt it might overshadow Dano’s Riddler.

It’s almost certain that the Joker will come up at some point. However, we can still only speculate who else may appear in The Batman Part II. As said earlier, the Joker’s riddle also somewhat teased the Court of Owls, which can become the possible big bad in the sequel. Mainly because of Batman’s focus on the city’s problem of corruption and organized crime.

What to Expect from the Movie…

According to Deadline, the sequel to The Batman will feature a new villain that wasn’t previously shown – Clayface. Clayface will reportedly play a major role in the second movie. However, it remains to be seen which version will be brought to life on the big screen. It could be either the shape-shifting clay monster or the vengeful stage actor angered over his iconic films being rebooted.

Pattinson previously shared how he would love to see a “grounded” version of the icy-cold Mr. Freeze. Pattinson said such a version of Mr. Freeze “could be really powerful.” The actor also hoped for the Court of Owls in the sequel. Other villains that were teased in The Batman include Hush, Bane, Harvey Dent/Two-Face, and the Trigger Twins.

The Batman Part II Movie Release Date

The Batman Part II is expected to premiere on October 2, 2026. A year after its last planned release date of October 3, 2025. Filming has been pushed from an August 2024 start date until sometime in 2025.

The first The Batman was already met with several delays due to the pandemic, as it was in production before the lockdown. Unfortunately, the wait will be roughly as long for fans to see The Batman Part II.

The 2026 release date gives the entire production a good window to shoot since the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023 pushed back so many shows and films. Its 2025 release date would also make The Batman Part II one of the studios’ key releases for that year. With no Marvel movies currently in the lineup for that time, The Batman Part II was expected to take over the box office for opening weekend.

In addition to The Batman Part II, there’s also The Brave and the Bold, set to come out (at the earliest) in 2026. This is then followed by the much-anticipated Batman and Robin movie. In the meantime, Reeves also has a number of his Batman spinoff series in the works. Replacing the Gotham PD spinoff is one centered on Arkham Asylum.

The director has teased that the Arkham Asylum series would be more in line with the horror genre. And, of course, The Penguin, starring Colin Farrell, is already in active development with MAX. That series will see the rise of Oswald Cobblepot into one of Gotham City’s notorious gangsters.

And lastly, there are still rumors of a potential spinoff centered on Selina Kyle/Catwoman. While it hasn’t been confirmed, Reeves has expressed interest in making that series. We’ll keep you posted as more news surfaces!