Robert Pattinson’s Batman Will Face the Penguin in 2026 Gritty Gotham Sequel

We’re more than ready to return to the gritty world of Gotham City, as director Matt Reeves is hard at work on the next chapter of The Batman saga. Reeves has revealed that he is “finishing up the script” for The Batman Part II and plans to begin filming “next year,” with the highly anticipated sequel slated for a 2026 release.

One of the key pieces of news is the confirmed return of Colin Farrell’s Oswald Cobblepot, better known as the Penguin. “Colin (Farrell) will be part of the movie,” Reeves told SFX magazine. “We’ve shared (the script) as we’ve been going along with DC and the studio, and they’re super excited.”

Interestingly, Reeves explained that the upcoming The Penguin TV series will serve as an “entry point” into the events of the sequel, with details connecting directly to the film’s narrative. “There are details that actually connect right into the way the next movie begins, and the way that Oz enters that world as we hand the baton back to Batman, and Batman is on another case,” the director revealed.

Of course, Robert Pattinson will reprise his role as Batman, but Reeves has made it clear that he plans to maintain the gritty, grounded approach that defined his take on the iconic character in the first film.

“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 explained. “We might push to the edge of the fantastical, but we would never go into full fantastical. It’s meant to feel quite grounded.”

This stance even led Reeves to dismiss fan requests to introduce the supernatural villain Gentleman Ghost, as the character does not fit within the director’s vision for the Gotham universe. “Gentleman Ghost is probably pushed a bit too far for us to be able to find a way to do, but there is a fun way to think about how we would take characters that might push over into a bit of the fantastical and find a way to make sense of that,” he said.

With the Penguin set to play a central role and the promise of an even more grounded and gritty Gotham, The Batman Part II‘ is shaping up to be an exciting and innovative addition to the caped crusader’s cinematic legacy. Fans will have to wait until 2026 to see Robert Pattinson’s Dark Knight face off against Colin Farrell’s dastardly villain, but the anticipation is already building.

The production is currently scheduled to begin filming in March 2025 in London. We’ll keep you posted as more details are announced!