The Batman 2: Release date, plot theories, & more

Everything you need to know about the superhero sequel The Batman 2, including the possible cast, rumored plot, and the new release date which pushed the movie back a year.

Batman has taken center stage in some great films, and some that weren’t so great.

Matt Reeves’ grungy take on Gotham’s hero was one of the best Batman movies so far; it was incredibly stylish, delightfully dark, and opened up a whole world of possibilities for further stories.

While upcoming DC movies have undergone plenty of changes, The Batman 2 has survived. There are lots of reasons to get excited about this super sequel, so here’s what we know.

The Batman 2 release date

The Batman Part II release date is October 3, 2026.

Warner Bros.

Announced as part of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s rebooted DC universe, it was previously set for a 2025 theatrical release. However, the writers’ and actors’ strikes led to The Batman 2 being delayed by a year.

Reeves is working on the script with Mattson Tomlin and has signed an overall deal with DC Studios to develop the “Batverse”, which already has several spinoffs in the works like The Penguin and Arkham Asylum TV shows.

What could The Batman 2 plot be?

There are no concrete details on The Batman 2 plot. However, Gotham City will be more vulnerable than ever with a power vacuum emerging. The story will likely be influenced by the ‘No Man’s Land’ storyline and Scott Snyder’s New 52 run, ‘Zero Year’.

DC Comics

We could see a hostile takeover from a new villain. The Batman left our hero and Gotham City in a unique position that no other Batman film has attempted. While Bruce Wayne may have foiled The Riddler’s plans to eliminate Gotham’s mayor-elect Bella Reál, the city is submerged underwater. Gotham City is ripe for the taking.

How that will play out depends on which member of Batman’s Rogues’ Gallery the movie thrusts into the spotlight. There are rumors about Hush joining the cast as an antagonist of the sequel, too.

Warner Bros.

Pattinson and Reeves have also expressed interest in using the Court of Owls storyline from the comics. Made up of Gotham’s wealthiest families and corrupt socialites, the Court of Owls is a secret society that has pulled Gotham’s strings for decades, which ties in nicely with the thematic threads introduced in the first movie.

It would be a drastic departure from Robin’s usual origin story, but integrating Dick Grayson into the Court could be a fresh way to introduce the character. The Court is known for kidnapping children from the Circus and training them to be highly skilled assassins known as Talons. Grayson’s origins lie within The Flying Graysons’ circus act, so it would be a bold take.

Who could be in The Batman 2 cast?

The Batman 2 cast list hasn’t been confirmed, but it will feature Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/The Batman.

Jeffrey Wright and Andy Serkis will probably return as Lieutenant James Gordon and Batman’s loyal butler Alfred Pennyworth, respectively.

Zoë Kravitz may return as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, but the character was last seen leaving Gotham City for Blüdhaven (Nightwing’s future stomping ground).

Colin Farrell’s The Penguin will be seen next in his Max show but could be out to stake his claim for Gotham’s criminal underworld.

Paul Dano could appear in a reduced role behind the bars of Arkham Asylum as The Riddler, accompanied by his new friend ‘Unseen Arkham Prisoner’ aka The Joker played by Barry Keoghan.

The latter’s role was merely a tease in the closing moments of The Batman, but the film’s tie-in website Rataalada revealed a cipher that suggests we’ll see them both appear in a team-up situation.

There have also been rumors about Dick Grayson, AKA Robin/Nightwing, joining Batman’s side, and Clayface joining the Rogues’ Gallery.

Is there a trailer for The Batman 2?

No, there isn’t a trailer for The Batman 2.

We will get a trailer by mid-late October 2026, if the film isn’t further delayed.

That’s everything we know about The Batman 2.

For more capers, check out other new movies like James Gunn’s Superman, the Joker 2 release date, and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.