The Batman 2 release date, cast, plot, and everything else you need to know about the upcoming DC movie

DC fans have been itching for The Batman 2 ever since Matt Reeves' gritty, grown-up take on the Dark Knight in 2022. We've still got a long while to wait until we return to Gotham, though, since the script was only finalized a few months ago – and production is set to kick off in spring 2026.

It's undoubtedly one of the most hotly anticipated upcoming DC movies. Its mysteriousness doesn't mean we've not had any teases about the film from those involved in making it, however. From veiled hints about the villain to Robert Pattinson's return, we've broken down all the tidbits we've gotten so far below.

We've rounded up everything you need to know, from release date, who is (and isn't) in it, and even when we might get a trailer. But, beware, if you're not caught up on The Penguin, there are spoilers below. So, to get completely up to speed on The Batman 2, head down to our ultimate guide below.

The Batman 2 release date

The Batman 2 has a release date of October 1, 2027. That's much later than originally planned, though. The movie was delayed a full year from October 2, 2026, which was a new date from a previous delay from October 3, 2025. Given that the movie isn't set to start filming until around April 2026, we don't expect it to be pushed back further.

The Batman 2 trailer: when might we get one?

Production on the movie isn't set to begin until 2026, so we probably won't see a trailer until 2027. The first trailer for The Batman, though, was released pretty early, arriving as part of DC Fandome in August 2020 (just seven months after production began in January 2020).

The movie itself arrived in March 2022, though it likely would have arrived earlier if it weren't for the COVID-19 pandemic. When cameras do finally roll, we can hopefully expect a trailer later in the year, meaning our best guess is mid-late 2026.

The Batman 2 cast speculation

We don't have too many updates here other than the obvious: Robert Pattinson will absolutely be returning as the Nirvana-listing, eyeliner-wearing Bruce Wayne. Colin Farrell has confirmed his return as Oz, but doesn't have a major role.

Cristin Milioti, who plays Sofia Falcone in The Penguin, won't be returning, however. Director Matt Reeves revealed he was already deep in writing the script before the HBO series began airing. James Gunn was also keen to downplay rumors that Robin would appear in The Batman 2.

Who else is involved? You might also remember that Barry Keoghan was set to play the Joker in The Batman before the scene was ultimately scrapped and later revealed online. In a 2024 interview with Vanity Fair, Keoghan all but confirmed that he would reprise the role in The Batman 2, though later that year he told Yahoo! that he hadn't been contacted about it yet.

Here's what we expect the cast to look like so far:

• Robert Pattinson – Bruce Wayne/Batman
• Andy Serkis – Alfred Pennyworth
• Jeffrey Wright – Jim Gordon
• Zoë Kravitz – Selina Kyle/Catwoman
• Colin Farrell – Oz Cobb/The Penguin

The Batman 2 plot speculation

After months of speculation over the script's status, we finally have movement: On June 27, Reeves and co-writer Mattson Tomlin posted a photo of the finished Batman 2 script with the first page blurred out, confirming that it had been turned in. Though Warner Bros. has yet to make a statement, the studio is reportedly "thrilled" with the script overall.

Keep in mind that the sequel was greenlit back in April 2022, with an original 2025 release date. Now that the film is due out in 2027, that marks five years between the films (though we're sure it'll be more than worth the wait).

In terms of plot, our only real hint is The Penguin spin-off series, which takes place after the events of The Batman and before the events of The Batman 2. At the end of the series, Sofia Falcone receives a letter from her half-sister Selina Kyle, and the finale ends on the Bat signal being lit up in the sky. There was also some fan speculation that Dr. Julian Rush, Sofia's psychiatrist, was being set-up to become Scarecrow, but this was later debunked by showrunner Lauren LeFranc.

Robert Pattinson has also teased that the sequel is "cool," while Colin Farrell has confirmed that he has "five or six" scenes in the movie.

Beyond that, Matt Reeves teased to The Hollywood Reporter that The Batman 2 would take Bruce Wayne and Batman into a director that has "never been done before in this way"

We also finally have a concrete hint about the villain. "One of the explorations, for me, was to do something that pushes even further into the character of Bruce Wayne because the first story is so much about the Batman," Reeves told Happy Sad Confused at the Emmys. "I always wanted, in the movies, to make sure [they were] focused on his character. I never wanted to lose Rob at the center of these stories – and that's what we set our aim on. So, we had to pick the right villain that digs into his past. I won't tell you where we ended up but we're super excited about it, and I will say it's never really been done in a movie before." That rules out the Joker, even though a deleted scene shows Barry Keoghan's Clown Prince of Crime seemingly stealing the paperclips from Batman's file, implying an escape from Arkham.

We also know that The Batman is in an Elseworlds universe separate from the new DCU spearheaded by Gunn and Peter Safran, beginning with Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, so the events of Superman, Supergirl, Lanterns, and so forth will have no bearing on the film. Gunn previously stated that he wouldn't "rule out" blending the DCU and DC Studios (where Reeves' Batman universe exists), but it's highly likely that the DCU will have its own separate and tonally different Batman.

That's a wrap on The Batman 2. While you wait, check out our guide on how to watch all the DC movies in order, for everything else the DCU has in store.