It is almost exactly three years to the day since The Batman opened in theaters. The film debuted on the big screen on March 4, 2022. And three years later, we don’t seem much closer to seeing its sequel.
At the very earliest, we won’t see Matt Reeves’ The Batman — Part II in theaters until 2027, at which point it will have been five years between installments, and at which point the Batman himself, Robert Pattinson, will be 40 years old. For a version of the Dark Knight mythology about how an inexperienced billionaire playboy became the world’s greatest detective, that might look a little odd.
Pattinson himself has acknowledged that fact in a recent interview. Speaking with Hero Magazine, Pattinson was asked if he will finally begin shooting a new Batman film soon. He replied…
I f—ing hope so. [laughs] I started out as young Batman and I’m going to be f—ing old Batman by the sequel.
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The delays in The Batman sequel are not necessarily or entirely Matt Reeves’ fault. A writers strike in 2023 stopped any work that was being done to the screenplay for several months. Perhaps most importantly, the film was greenlit under the previous regime at DC Studios, which is now under the auspices of co-CEOs Peter Safran and James Gunn. And they have their own Batman project in development, won that is supposed to star a totally different Batman and focus on his relationship with the latest incarnation of Robin the Boy Wonder, Batman’s son Damian.
I still find it hard to believe that Warner Bros is going to release two totally different Batman movies featuring two totally different incarnations of the character within the span of years or perhaps even months. Forget about the potential for audiences to become confused by multiple versions of the character — Are they the same guy? Is one the sequel to the other? — there’s the far more serious danger that you could burn out the demand for the character.
I know Batman is one of the most popular superheroes in history, and just about every film he’s ever appeared in has made hundreds of millions of dollars. But part of that is based on audience’s anticipation and excitement to see the character. Given how long it’s been since The Batman, it’s reasonable to think they will be thrilled to get a sequel. But even if it’s great, will they immediately want another Batman movie right afterwards? And beyond that, how will you distinguish Pattinson’s Batman from this new guy? There’s more questions marks here than on the Riddler’s costume.
The Batman — Part II is currently scheduled to open in theaters on October 1, 2027.
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