After Matt Reeves’ 2022 blockbuster, ‘The Batman’, garnered immense success, it opened a new chapter for the Batman film franchise. Since the announcement of the sequel, fans have eagerly awaited details about ‘Batman 2’. In 2022, the makers confirmed the return of Gotham’s caped crusader. While they are developing the spin-off series ‘The Penguin’, fans are buzzing in anticipation of the film sequel. Initially slated to begin production in November 2023, ‘Batman 2’ has faced several delays. Previously, co-writer Mattson Tomlin confirmed that the project is still on track, renewing the wave of excitement among fans. Following this confirmation, director Matt Reeves has shared details about the upcoming film’s plot and villains.

Also Read: ‘Batman 2’: Filming to begin soon, Gotham’s savior set for 2026 return

In a recent conversation with ‘SFX’ magazine, Matt Reeves revealed that they are wrapping up the script. They plan to commence shooting next year. Discussing Penguin’s return, he said, “Colin [Farrell] will be part of the movie”. He added, “We’ve shared [the script] as we’ve been going along with DC and the studio, and they’re super excited.” The filmmaker also revealed that the spin-off series ‘The Penguin’ will serve as the “entry point” for ‘Batman 2’. Delving deeper, he added, “There are details that actually connect right into the way the next movie begins, and the way that Oz enters that world as we hand the baton back to Batman, and Batman is on another case.”

Matt Reeves talks about ‘The Batman: Part II’:

“It’s another mystery in The Batman 2 that’s going to dig into the epic story about deeper corruption and it goes into places that he couldn’t even anticipate in the first one. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/nXmTrAUtWj

— The Batman Film News (@TheBatmanFilm_) September 4, 2024

As the conversation progressed, Reeves also offered a glimpse of the plot and the villain(s) for the next film. The slated release will “dig into the epic story about deeper corruption, and it goes into places that he couldn’t anticipate in the first one. The seeds of where this goes are all in the first movie. It expands in a way that will show you aspects of the character you never got to see. Batman is constantly battling these forces, but those forces can’t be entirely exorcised. So, the next movie delves deeper into that.”

 

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Reacting to fans’ requests to bring the DC villain Gentleman Ghost into ‘Batman 2’, Reeves elaborated that what was important for him was to find a way to take these pop icons and mythical characters and translate them in a way that makes Gotham feel like a place in our world. He added that they might push to the edge of the fantastical but would never go into full fantasy. Therefore, explaining his rationale, he revealed that introducing Gentleman Ghost would be pushing it too far. However, he added, “There is a fun way to think about how we would take characters that might push into a bit of the fantastical and find a way to make sense of that.”

While it has been confirmed that Penguin is set to return, there has been no clarification yet on whether the film will feature more villains. The 2022 film, ‘The Batman’, starred Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, and Paul Dano as Edward Nashton/Riddler. Joining them in key roles were Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Andy Serkis, and Colin Farrell. Meanwhile, the series ‘Penguin’ will premiere on September 19 on HBO Max.