Furthermore, the world has expanded, as the miniseries The Penguin released on HBO Max in 2024, and Reeves has a producing credit on the animated series Batman: Caped Crusader (which does not take place in the world of The Batman, but has some tonal similarities).
Yet, Reeves himself has admitted that he’s taking his time making the movie. Thus far, Gunn has been nothing but supportive of the process, assuring fans that The Batman movies take place in their own universe, disconnected from the rest of the DCU, and that Reeves can take his time to get the movie right. Moreover, the mainline DCU has its own Batman movie in the work, The Brave and the Bold, slated to be directed by Andy Muschietti.
All of that said, the timing of Reeves’s announcement is curious. After much litigation and negotiation, the sale of Warner Bros. to Paramount is set to close tomorrow, October 6. Beyond the loss of two historic Hollywood studios and the opportunity for more variety in productions, the Warner Bros. sale rankles audiences because of CEO David Ellison’s political positions, particularly his ties to President Donald Trump. Even if spokespeople are insisting that his relationship to Trump is “overstated,” Ellison’s position and his ownership over two studios has worried some creatives.
Again, Reeves has not said anything specific about his reasons for stepping away, and this just may be one more delay in The Batman: Part II‘s process. Were it any other movie, we would say that The Batman: Part II will never see the screen. But this isn’t just any movie. This is Batman, and Batman has overcome worse.
The Batman: Part II is slated to release on February 18, 2028. For now.
