Matt Reeves' The Batman 2 is officially a go at Warner Bros. DC's Caped Crusader has enjoyed countless depictions on both the big and the small screen, and the newest one made quite a splash earlier this year. The Batman debuted in March after a handful of Covid-related delays and scored the biggest box office debut of 2022 so far with $134 million domestically; to this day, it has earned $758 million worldwide. On top of that, The Batman earned glowing reviews from fans and critics alike, with many praising Reeves' gritty take on Gotham City and Robert Pattison's performance as a more tortured Bruce Wayne.

Even before The Batman premiered, there was much talk of potential follow-ups. Both Reeves and Pattinson shared their interest in making a sequel, and Pattison has confirmed he's mapped out an arc for his Bruce to explore in future films. The Batman itself even seemed to pave the way for a sequel by introducing Barry Keoghan as infamous villain the Joker. However, up until now, WB has stayed quiet on forthcoming installments.

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At WB's CinemaCon panel, which Screen Rant attended, the studio announced The Batman 2 is officially moving forward. Reeves will return to direct, while Pattinson once again stars as the Dark Knight.  During the presentation, Reeves said that he is "excited to jump back into this world, but more on that at a future CinemaCon." No further details, such as other returning players or a release date, were given.

The Batman Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne in suit and cowl

It was all but certain that The Batman 2 would be greenlit, but the news is still welcome. With the first film, Reeves established a grounded and corrupted Gotham that is perfectly suited to host a multitude of future stories; in fact, there are already a couple HBO Max spinoffs in the works, including one about Colin Farrell's the Penguin. As a result, it isn't yet clear where The Batman 2 will go plot-wise. It seems likely that the Joker will play a part in it, but Reeves has so far stopped short of confirming Keoghan's new villain will be at the forefront of the sequel. The Batman 2 has only just been announced, so it could be that Reeves is still working out plot details. He's also entertained the idea of Robin joining the fray, indicating that truly anything can happen with this movie.

As for a release date, it seems likely that The Batman 2 won't open until 2024. Had a script already been in place, filming could've gotten off the ground this year to allow for a 2023 release. However, that doesn't appear to be the case, and as The Batman had a notably difficult production due to the coronavirus pandemic, it seems better to let the sequel take its time. Expectations will be high for this one, especially after the the first movie earned such a great response. The Batman 2 is set now, and hopefully there will be even more details to pore over soon.

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Source: Warner Bros.

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