There’s simply no artifice in James Gunn’s filmmaking. Gunn is never shy about sharing with fans exactly how he plans to build his DC universe. Unfortunately for fans, he recently revealed that he has yet to see the script for The Batman Part 2.
Gunn took to Threads to address a rumor suggesting that Clayface and Scarecrow are slated to appear as villains in The Batman Part 2. According to Gunn, Matt Reeves, the director of The Batman, has yet to submit even the first draft of the sequel to the critically acclaimed 2022 film starring Robert Pattinson. However, as the CEO of DC, Gunn has likely had discussions with Reeves about the general direction of the script and the future of his growing Gotham saga.
Reeves hasn’t left fans high and dry, though. Earlier this year, he expanded his universe with The Penguin, a series set just one week after the events of The Batman. The show connected with fans and even teased the return of the Caped Crusader in its final episode. This project was reportedly inspired by Casey Bloys, the CEO of HBO, who convinced Reeves to adapt marquee characters for television, where stories could be explored more deeply than in a feature film focused solely on Batman’s perspective. In hindsight, this was a great and timely decision — not only has the show been a hit with fans, but it has also allowed Reeves to buy time and maintain their patience.
Reeves believed The Penguin was the best candidate to launch a spin-off series and revealed in an interview with presumably involving the Joker, played by Barry Keoghan. There’s also growing concern over the potential for two Batmen to coexist: Robert Pattinson’s version in Reeves’ Elseworlds Gotham and whoever is cast in the main DCU.
Even by his own standards, Reeves has taken an unusually long time to develop his follow-up to The Batman. His Planet of the Apes films never took more than three years between releases. With The Batman Part 2 currently scheduled for October 2026, the news that Reeves hasn’t even submitted a first draft may discourage fans who enjoyed his grounded take on the Caped Crusader’s exploits in the always flawed Gotham city.
According to Deadline, however, Reeves previously shared that he’s been keeping DC executives updated as he develops the script, and they’re all excited about its progress. He has promised that the sequel will reveal aspects of Gotham’s characters that fans rarely get to see on the big screen while delving deeper into the city’s rampant corruption.
With such a long wait ahead, the pressure on Matt Reeves is immense. After all this time, he cannot afford for the film to fall short. Like James Cameron has been proving with his Avatar franchise, Reeves only has one true way to silence critics: Deliver a classic.
Published: Dec 14, 2024 11:20 am