Highlights
- The Batman 2 is confirmed for release in 2025, with Robert Pattinson returning as Batman, and potential returns for other cast members. A series focusing on the Penguin is also in the works.
- The Batman was criticized for its long runtime, being the longest Batman movie ever. However, director Matt Reeves defended the length, claiming that test audiences reacted well to it.
- The Batman 2 should tighten its story and have a shorter runtime than its predecessor. Rumors suggest that The Joker may have a more central role in the sequel, alongside potential appearances by other villains.
Matt Reeves' The Batman was a massive hit when it was released in 2022, grossing $771 million worldwide, and getting rave reviews from critics and fans alike. It wasn't long before The Batman 2 was greenlit and plans were made for what direction the sequel would take. The Batman 2 is currently slated for release on October 3rd, 2025, so there's plenty of time to ponder what might happen in the next chapter.
Robert Pattinson is confirmed to return as Bruce Wayne/Batman, with potential returns for Zoë Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright, Andy Serkis and Colin Farrell, though nothing is confirmed yet. It is also expected that Barry Keoghan will return as The Joker after he appeared at the end of the first movie. As well as the second movie, a series focusing on the Penguin is due for release on HBO Max in the near future.
The Batman 2 Should Do More To Develop a Beloved Character
James Gordon is one of Batman's greatest allies, but how can Jeffrey Wright's version of the GCPD Lieutenant evolve in Matt Reeves' The Batman 2?
Despite the resounding praise for The Batman, it wasn't without its faults. The different tone of the movie is in stark contrast to previous entries, looking more like a David Fincher crime drama, than a superhero movie, As much as this tonal change was welcomed, certain changes in other departments are needed to make The Batman 2 even better than its predecessor.
The Batman was good but too long
Movies seem to be getting longer and longer these days, testing audiences' attention span. The Batman had a runtime of nearly three hours, making it the longest Batman movie of all time. However, this isn't the longest-ever comic book movie, with Avengers: Endgame clocking in at just over three hours long.
There is no disputing The Batman was a great movie, with some fantastic action set pieces, and an enthralling storyline that kept audiences on the edge of their seats. However, did it really need to be that long? Every entry in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy came in at over two hours long, with each movie being longer than the previous one. However, none of them felt overlong, and had plot points to be tied up, justifying the run times increasing. But The Batman was the first movie in this new iteration, and despite teasing a sequel at the end of the movie, it felt like a self-contained piece, and didn't need to drag on for so long.
Matt Reeves has previously defended the run time of The Batman, and said that test audiences reacted well to the near three-hour movie, and were less positive about a shorter version of it. There are no rules for how long a movie should be, as long as it keeps fans entertained throughout.
The Batman 2 should tighten its story
If fans are to return in their droves to Matt Reeves' universe, The Batman 2 needs to fix one big problem in order to tell a more contained story, with a shorter run time than its predecessor. There are also certain things fans want to see in a sequel that must be honored. Chances are, the sequel will still clock in at over two hours, and this is fine as anything under that would probably be too short. But a tightening of the story can only benefit the franchise moving forward.
Nothing has been confirmed about the plot for The Batman 2 yet, but rumors suggest The Joker might take more of a central role in the storyline for the next movie, and with Barry Keoghan's star very much on the rise, it would be hard to go against this being a likely scenario. His version of the Joker appeared at the very end of The Batman, as he interacted with The Riddler in Arkham Asylum, and it received glowing praise for being different to other versions of the character. Heath Ledger's Joker will always be very difficult to top, but The Batman faced similar problems living up to Nolan's trilogy, and as much as it's not as good as those movies, it was different enough to be judged on its own merits.
There's a valid argument that the upcoming sequel doesn't have the task of setting up the characters this time around, so it should be able to get straight into the storyline, therefore it could be a lot shorter. With Gotham City being completely submerged underwater at the end of the first movie, despite The Riddler being caught, Batman faces many challenges in the sequel. There are rumors of The Riddler's alter ego, Hush being one of the antagonists in the next movie, and he could potentially team up with the Joker to wreak havoc on an already vulnerable Gotham City. Matt Reeves has also expressed an interest in introducing the Court of Owls and Batman's sidekick Dick Grayson into the mix. However, with a trilogy planned, these characters could be saved for a third movie, so as not to overload the second entry. Whatever happens, audiences are eagerly awaiting The Batman 2, and are hopeful of a tighter story than the first one, albeit with the same high quality.