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

The wait is on for The Batman 2 release date after The Penguin, so if you’re looking forward to Robert Pattinson’s return, here’s everything we know.

Batman has taken center stage in some great films, and some that weren’t so great, over the years. He’s undoubtedly the coolest hero around, and Robert Pattinson arguably made him cooler than ever.

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 will be released on October 2, 2026.

Warner Bros.

Announced as part of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s rebooted DC universe, it was previously set for 2025. 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. He has signed an overall deal with DC Studios to develop the “Batverse”, including The Penguin spinoff on the way.

While not officially confirmed, Andy Serkis teased that filming should kick off in early 2025. During an appearance at ACE Superhero Comic Con 2024, the Alfred Pennyworth actor said, “We’re probably likely to be starting filming early next year [2025]. Therefore, if you do the math, it’ll [the release date] be a year and a half after that.”

“I know that Matt is working really hard on the script,” Serkis continued. “Matt Reeves being Matt Reeves, the extraordinary filmmaker that he is, I can only assume that it’s going to be another brilliant script because I thought what he did with that first film was pretty amazing. I loved working with Rob Pattinson, and I really look forward to playing Alfred once more.”

We are not expecting any further delays to The Batman 2 release date now. In fact, Tomlin said on August 21, 2024 that filming was definitely starting in 2025. He told ScreenRant: “We’re gearing up, and I will say that the bar just couldn’t be higher.”

The Batman 2 plot speculation

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.

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.

Crucially, we need to consider the events of The Penguin. Matt Reeves has confirmed Bruce Wayne will find it “very hard” being Gotham’s hero in the next movie.

“This was a time of great turmoil in the city, it’s literally the week after what happened,” he explained to Digital Spy.

“Much of the city is in desperation, so police can’t get everywhere, there’s crime everywhere, it’s a very, very dangerous time.

“[Batman’s] out there trying to grapple with the aftermath of everything that happened, which to some degree he blames himself for.”

Who’ll 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 and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth.

Jeffrey Wright will probably return as Lieutenant James Gordon, too.

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 is confirmed to return. “I signed up for three Batman films, but I didn’t know if I’d be in the second film,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.

“Matt Reeves is a brilliant writer and an extraordinary filmmaker, and what I’m most excited-slash-nervous about in the second film is not what Oz does – or what predicaments he finds himself in, or what moments of success he gets to experience – but what his voice is.

“I was told I have five or six scenes. I don’t have any hopes or any expectations. I’m really an open book, and that’s the way I get excited by shit or not.

“I think sometimes actors, if they have a career that has a certain length of time, they sometimes get to make too many decisions. Which isn’t to say I won’t push back or argue or fight in Oz’s corner – I do believe I know him better than anyone now.”

HBO

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.

This hasn’t been confirmed, but Cristin Milioti’s Sofia may play a major role in the sequel after The Penguin.

Is there a trailer for The Batman 2?

No, there isn’t a trailer for The Batman 2, but we’ll update this space as soon as any footage appears online.

find out why Dr Julian Rush may be a Batman villain in disguise and how The Penguin finale could have made one change to set up The Batman 2. You can also check out our list of the best superhero movies of all time.