Robert Pattinson's The Batman 2 might face devastating delays

Fans were excited when The Batman came out in 2022, it was the first solo Batman film in ten years, and it introduced Robert Pattinson as a younger, more rough-around-the-edges Bruce Wayne. In 2025, HBO continued that storyline with The Penguin, a gritty crime series focused on one of Batman’s iconic enemies, played by Colin Farrell. But even with all that momentum, The Batman 2 still seems no closer to hitting theatres.

So what’s the hold-up? That’s what many fans have been asking for a while now. Most of the delays seem to come down to problems with the script. On top of that, the 2023 writers’ strike brought everything to a standstill for months, stopping director Matt Reeves from making any progress. Even now, nearly two years later, there’s little evidence that things are moving forward, even though there are rumours that filming might begin sometime later this year.

Recently, on a podcast called The Hot Mic, Hollywood insider Jeff Sneider dropped a pretty discouraging update. He said it’s looking more and more likely that The Batman 2 won’t be the next Batman movie DC makes. This lines up with other hints we’ve been seeing, suggesting the sequel might be facing more delays, or possibly a major change in direction, leaving the project stuck in what’s often called “development hell.”

Here are the big reasons DC Studios might be rethinking things, and why The Batman 2 may not be the Caped Crusader’s next big screen appearance.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by DC Film News (@dcfilmnews)

**Is the script for The Batman 2 struggling?**

Every time someone asks director Matt Reeves or DC Studios boss James Gunn what’s going on with The Batman 2, the answer is always the same: the script just isn’t finished yet. That explanation makes some sense, after all, the 2023 writers’ strike caused a lot of major movies to pause development, and The Batman 2 was one of them. But now, nearly two years later, fans are starting to wonder if there’s more going on behind the scenes than just slow writing.

Warner Bros. Pictures co-heads Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy recently spoke about the situation, saying the movie simply isn’t ready yet. According to them, the sequel will move forward only when Matt Reeves has written what he feels is his best Batman script, no compromises.

Adding to that, actor Andy Serkis, who plays Alfred, shared in an interview back in February that he has heard the general story idea, but there’s still no finished script to work from.

Even James Gunn, who leads DC Studios alongside Peter Safran, chimed in on Threads in December 2024 to reassure fans. He confirmed that the delay is purely because there’s not a complete script yet, and that Reeves is taking his time to make sure the sequel lives up to expectations.

So while it might seem like The Batman 2 is stuck, the people behind it keep saying it’s all about quality over speed. Still, it’s hard not to wonder how long fans will have to wait.

**Will The Batman 2 face any filming delays?**

You can’t have The Batman 2 without Batman himself, and that could be another major reason for the delay. Robert Pattinson, who brought a fresh and gritty take on the Dark Knight in the 2022 film, might be too busy for the foreseeable future. Recent reports suggest he’s lined up for a key role in Dune 3, where he’s expected to play the main villain, Scytale, a shape-shifting “Face Dancer” and major threat to Paul Atreides.

If this turns out to be true, it could really tie up Pattinson’s schedule. Dune 3 is reportedly set to begin filming in July 2025 and continue through the end of the year. That means he’d be off the table for The Batman 2 until at least early 2026.

Pattinson had previously mentioned he was expecting to film The Batman 2 after working on another project, The Odyssey. But with Dune 3 now in the mix, that timeline might be pushed even further.

Meanwhile, Warner Bros. is under pressure to get another Batman movie out sooner rather than later. While Aquaman technically holds the title of DC’s highest-grossing movie, Batman is still the studio’s most reliable character, a consistent box office draw for decades.

To put things into perspective, since 2005, Warner Bros. has made sure there’s been a Batman-led or Batman-heavy movie released every few years:

Batman Begins (2005)
The Dark Knight (2008)
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Batman v Superman (2016)
Justice League (2017)
The Batman (2022)
The Flash (2023), which also featured Batman

Now, it’s already been almost three years since The Batman premiered, and progress on the sequel still feels slow. As of now, The Batman 2 has been pushed to October 1, 2027, a full two-year delay from its original schedule. If the current team can’t get things moving soon, Warner Bros. may start considering other options to make sure the Dark Knight doesn’t stay off the big screen for too long.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @aiarteuphoria_

Two Batman might get confusing

Matt Reeves’ Batman: Crime Saga, which includes The Batman and upcoming spin-offs, is still happening, but it exists outside the main DC movie universe. It’s officially labeled an “Elseworlds” story, meaning it’s set in its own separate timeline, with Robert Pattinson continuing as the Dark Knight in that world.

At the same time, James Gunn’s new DC Universe (DCU) is building up its own version of Batman, who will appear in The Brave and the Bold. This version of the character will be older, more experienced, and already working with a full Bat Family, including characters like Robin and Nightwing.

So essentially, we’re going to have two different Batmans on the big screen at the same time, one younger and brooding in Reeves’ universe, and another more seasoned and established in the DCU. While comic book fans are used to multiverse stories, this dual setup could be pretty confusing for the general public who just want to keep track of “the” Batman.

Given that The Batman 2 is still stuck in early development and facing constant delays, there’s a real possibility that Warner Bros. and DC Studios might start shifting more of their attention to the DCU’s Batman instead. From a business perspective, it makes sense, the DCU version could be viewed as the long-term face of Batman going forward, especially if the Crime Saga continues to lag behind in production.

In short, unless Reeves’ team can pick up the pace, there’s a growing chance the spotlight could shift toward the DCU’s Batman as the future of the franchise.

So what’s next for The Batman 2

As more time passes with little progress, concerns are growing that The Batman 2 could be delayed again, or, in the worst-case scenario, quietly shelved. Regardless of what happens with Matt Reeves’ sequel, one thing is clear: Warner Bros. and DC Studios will want Batman back on the big screen soon. That means The Batman 2 might not end up being the next movie where we see the Dark Knight.

So, what could be his next big cinematic outing? Here are the top contenders:

1. World’s Finest

According to film insider Jeff Sneider on The Hot Mic podcast, James Gunn may be working on a Batman/Superman team-up movie as his next DCU project. Gunn even confirmed on Threads that he’s in the early “pre-writing” phase of a secret new film that hasn’t been officially announced yet.

In the past, Gunn said that if he ever did a Batman/Superman crossover, it would be called World’s Finest. While this could be exciting for fans, moving forward with this project so soon, especially before fully introducing the DCU’s new Batman, might echo the mistakes of Batman v Superman, which many felt rushed into things without proper buildup.

2. The Brave and the Bold

If World’s Finest doesn’t come next, The Brave and the Bold seems like another strong possibility. This movie is set to be the official introduction of Batman into the new DCU and will reportedly focus on a veteran Dark Knight and his son, Damian Wayne, who becomes Robin.

Andy Muschietti (The Flash) is still attached to direct, but there hasn’t been much movement on the project lately. Last we heard, there was no script, and there’s still no writer officially announced. While Gunn and Muschietti are said to be in regular contact, the lack of updates makes the project’s timeline pretty uncertain, especially after the lukewarm response to The Flash.

3. The Batman Part II

There is a small flicker of hope for The Batman 2. When a fan recently asked James Gunn on Threads if there were any “encouraging updates” about the sequel, he replied simply, “Yes.” It’s not much to go on, but it does suggest things may be moving behind the scenes.

If Matt Reeves and his team can begin filming in early 2026, they would still have enough time to meet the current release date of October 1, 2027, giving Reeves over a year for post-production. That’s assuming, of course, that Robert Pattinson becomes available and the script finally gets completed.

4. Clayface

Surprisingly, the DCU’s first trip to Gotham may come with Clayface, a lower-budget horror-style film directed by Speak No Evil’s James Watkins and written by Doctor Sleep’s Mike Flanagan. It’s scheduled for release on September 11, 2026, and production is expected to begin this year.

Details are still under wraps, but there’s speculation about whether Batman might show up in some capacity. If he does, it would require DC to finally cast its new Batman actor for the DCU, something they may be holding off on until The Brave and the Bold is further along.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Batman (@batman)

At the moment, it’s unclear which of these projects will officially bring Batman back to the big screen first. Neither The Batman 2 nor The Brave and the Bold seems especially close to release. But fans don’t need to worry about going without the Dark Knight entirely, Warner Bros. has confirmed Batman will appear in seven upcoming DC movies and shows, so there’s plenty of Gotham content on the way, even if the next blockbuster is still a while off.

Robert Pattinson’s The Batman 2 might face devastating delays