The Batman Part II: release date, confirmed cast, and more news and rumors about the DC movie

The Batman Part II is among my most anticipated superhero movies of the next few years. It's been over two and a half years since Robert Pattinson's first outing as the Caped Crusader took flight, but The Penguin TV spin-off has reignited interest in Matt Reeves' Batman universe, and I – and many others – can no longer contain my excitement for the Dark Knight's next big-screen adventure.

So, what do we know about it? Not a lot, really, but its cast and crew, plus what happened in The Penguin, have given us some ideas about The Batman's film sequel. To that end, I've rounded up every piece of news and rumor I can find on the forthcoming DC flick in this handy guide, including its official release date of October 2, 2026, likely cast, and potential plot points. Full spoilers follow for The Batman and The Penguin, so proceed at your own risk.

The Batman Part II release date

The Batman Part II will swoop into cinemas worldwide on October 2, 2026.

The film, labeled a DC Elseworlds project after new DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran revealed their new-look DC Cinematic Universe (DCU) in January 2023, was originally due to arrive in October 2025. That release date was unveiled many, many months after Warner Bros. announced The Batman was getting a sequel.

However, The Batman Part II's release was delayed in mid-March, with Deadline noting that the 2023 Hollywood strikes were a key reason for its revised launch date. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly (EW) in mid-September, Reeves confirmed he'd finally finished writing the script with co-scribe Mattson Tomlin. It's unclear when filming will actually begin, but industry insider Jeff Sneider suggests it'll start shooting in April 2025.

The Batman Part II trailer: is there one?

Surprising no one, there's no trailer yet. I don't expect to see one until early 2026, either, especially if principal photography doesn't start on The Batman Part II until next April. Once a trailer is eventually released, I'll update this section.

The Batman Part II cast: confirmed and rumored

Potential spoilers follow for The Batman Part II.

The Batman 2's official cast list hasn't been released yet, but here's a list of those who've said and/or hinted that they'll appear:

• Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman
• Jeffrey Wright as James 'Jim' Gordon
• Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth
• Colin Farrell as Oz Cobb

Pattinson is nailed on to step into the role of the titular vigilante and his billionaire alias Bruce Wayne once more.

Meanwhile, three of The Batman's supporting cast are also set to return. Farrell announced (via The Hollywood Reporter (THR)) that he's signed on to appear in "five or six scenes" as Oz Cobb, aka The Penguin. Serkis also confirmed he'll be back as the Wayne family's butler Alfred Pennyworth when discussing the movie's filming schedule at ACE Superhero Con (per Digital Spy) in June. Lastly, Jeffrey Wright spoke about playing Commissioner Gordon again with ET Online in February.

There are plenty of other actors who appeared in The Batman, The Penguin, or both that may show up, too. Concerning the former, Zoë Kravitz, Barry Keoghan, and Paul Dano could return as Selina Kyle, Joker, and The Riddler respectively, though much depends on the story that'll play out in The Batman Part II.

On The Penguin front, the most likely candidate who might make the jump to the big screen is Cristin Milioti's Sofia Gigante. She was reincarcerated at Arkham Asylum in one of the best Max shows' final episode and, given Batman visited this psychiatric hospital-prison in The Batman, he could do so again as part of the plot. If he does, I'd be shocked if he doesn't share a scene or two with Sofia.

Finally, Con O'Neill's Gotham police chief Mackenzie Bock and Jayme Lawson's Gotham City mayor Bella Real are sure to pop up. The pair had minor roles in both productions, so I've reason to believe they'll reappear in The Batman 2.

The Batman Part II story speculation

Major spoilers follow for The Batman and The Penguin.

Understandably, there's very little we currently know about The Batman Part II's plot. You should read my articles on The Penguin ending explained and The Batman ending explained, though, to get a sense of where things could go next.

There are morsels of information that have given us some insight into the movie's potential story, too – starting with who its villain could be. Speaking to Den of Geek in February 2022, Pattinson expressed his wish to see the Court of Owls, a relatively new addition to Batman's rogues gallery, make their live-action debut. Reeves, for his part, refused to confirm or deny if this clandestine organization would feature during an appearance on the Showsha YouTube channel in October.

Pattinson has also stated he'd like to see the Dark Knight go toe-to-toe with Calendar Man, aka the villain of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's 'The Long Halloween' graphic novel. Considering The Batman was heavily influenced by the comic book, and The Batman Part II's pre-Halloween 2026 release date, Calendar Man would be an apt antagonist for the World's Greatest Detective to take on.

As for Reeves, Mr. Freeze is a name the writer-director frequently dropped as a potential foil to Pattinson's Batman while promoting The Batman in early 2022 (per Fandom and as picked up on by Batman News). Eagle-eyed fans, though, think The Batman 2's villain isn't any of this trio, with fan detectives suggesting The Batman sequel's main antagonist will be none other than Two-Face - and they have the internet-based evidence to back it up.

Moving away from which of Batman's foes may appear, what are the chances of the Caped Crusader's sidekick Robin showing up? I think that's extremely unlikely, but Pattinson is open to the idea, albeit under one condition, the A-lister telling Fandom: "Yeah but he has to be 13. That’s the only way I’ll accept it. No, I love [comic series] 'Death in the Family' and stuff. I think it would be so cool. Also, people are so scared of it, that it’s kind of exciting. I think it would be a really fun addition."

Before any of the aforementioned individuals potentially surface, however, the big question on everyone's lips is: where has Bruce Wayne/Batman been? Indeed, he was conspicuous by his absence in The Penguin, so we'll need to know where he's been and/or what he's been up to as Oz and Sofia's turf war waged on Gotham City's streets.

In conversation with Digital Spy, Reeves provided some context to Batman being AWOL. "This was a time of great turmoil in the city, it's literally the week after what happened. Much of the city is in desperation, so police can't get everywhere, there's crime everywhere, it's a very, very dangerous time. [Batman’s] out there trying to grapple with the aftermath of everything that happened, which to some degree he blames himself for". These quotes notwithstanding, it would be good to get more details on where he was during The Penguin.

There are plenty more questions we need answers to in The Batman sequel. That includes a possible first meeting between half-sisters Sofia and Selina – "It felt important to acknowledge it in this way and set up a potential future", LeFranc told EW – and how Gotham's gang war has shifted the balance of power in the city. Teasing how The Penguin and The Batman's events set the stage for the latter's follow-up, Reeves told EW: "The repercussions of what happened as a result of the last movie and what's happened during this gang war are very much the table setter for the way we enter into [The Batman Part II]". Whatever's to come, you can color me excited.

Where can I watch The Batman and The Penguin?

Want to know which of the world's best streaming services are home to The Batman and/or The Penguin? First, read my review of The Batman and review of The Penguin to get a spoiler-light taste of what to expect. Then, read on to learn where you can watch them in the US, UK, and Australia before The Batman Part II is released in theaters.

• The Batman – Max (US), Prime Video (UK), and Foxtel and Stan (Australia)
• The Penguin – Max and HBO (US), Sky and Now TV (UK), and Binge (Australia)

If you're interested in streaming more Batman films, read our guide on how to watch the Batman movies in order. See if you agree with our ranking of the best Batman movies and if any Batman flick made it onto our best Max movies list, too, once you've seen some or all of them.

Has The Batman Part III been announced yet?

There's nothing to report about a sequel to The Batman Part II. However, The Batman Epic Crime Saga is only going to expand outwards, so there'll be more movie and TV projects to enjoy in the future. Don't discount The Batman Part III being among that contingent.

In the more immediate term, there are other TV spin-offs in early development, with Reeves telling The Wrap he's in discussions with HBO about other shows centered around more of Batman's most iconic villains. One rumor that emerged following The Wrap's report was that Barry Keoghan was set to star in a Joker series, but DC Studios co-chief James Gunn has denied such a project is in the works. Other spin-off ideas that have since been discarded include a Gotham Police Department crime procedural and a horror-fuelled Arkham Asylum TV show.

However, there is the potential for a second season of The Penguin to be greenlit. The critical and commercial acclaim that the HBO series has been met with – The Penguin was streamed by five million people on HBO alone during its first few days on the service – means TV executives want Oz's story, The Batman Part II's plot notwithstanding, to continue. Lead actor Colin Farrell is extremely open to the idea of a second season (per THR), while showrunner Lauren LeFranc told The Direct: "I think that in order to do a second season, we have to feel like we can top ourselves. We have to feel like there's something more there to really dig into". Don't rule it out, then, folks.

For more DC-based coverage, read my guides on Creature Commandos, James Gunn's Superman movie, and every DC project in development for DCU Chapter One.