The shadows over Gotham are thick with secrets, but the director of the upcoming The Batman Part II, Matt Reeves, just dropped enough of a breadcrumb to get Bat-fans drooling. Fresh off The Penguin’s Emmy wins, including a major honor for Cristin Milioti, the filmmaker took to the Emmys red carpet to tease what’s coming next for the Dark Knight. And according to him, we’re in for something unlike anything we’ve seen before. How are your bat-expectations? Because this longtime fan of the Cape Crusader is through the roof.
In a brief but telling interview shared by The Hollywood Reporter’s official YouTube channel, Reeves hinted at how the next chapter will push Bruce Wayne into unfamiliar territory. According to the Planet of the Apes veteran filmmaker:
I was super excited. I thought that he [Pattinson] really would [like it], because the things that it does for his character, for Batman and for Bruce, I think has never been done before in this way.
It’s the kind of quote that drops like a smoke bomb, clearly hiding more than it reveals, but still tantalizing. Reeves also emphasized just how crucial secrecy is this time around, especially since the upcoming DC film leans harder into the detective elements that defined the first movie and its spinoff series set within the world of The Batman. The filmmaker continued:
Obviously, because of what the first movie was and what this movie is, which is so much a detective story, the idea of trying to protect the secrets of the movie is super important, because it’s a mystery. I mean, it's all part of that. So, that would be an extra level of heartbreak if that part of it started getting out… You kind of want to keep the surprise so that fans of the genre and these movies can have the same fun experience that I always loved going to the movies for, which was to be surprised.
It’s a refreshing stance in an era where leaks or set photos hit Reddit faster than Joker’s laughing gas–look no further than the Clayface movie, which has had a ton of set photo leaks that have fired up fan speculation requiring James Gunn to speak out. Reeves is playing the long game, and longtime fans of the Bat-mythos like myself are listening.
But as high as the hype is for The Batman Part II, there’s one big letdown that fans of The Penguin (available with an HBO Max subscription) will have to accept: Cristin Milioti’s Sofia Gigante, fresh off her Emmy win for Best Actress in a Limited Series, won’t be showing up in the sequel. Boo.
That’s a tough pill to swallow for fans who felt The Penguin rivaled or even surpassed The Batman. Milioti’s sharp, scene-stealing performance as Sofia Gigante made her an instant fan favorite. Still, Reeves made it clear her exclusion isn’t personal, it’s just a matter of narrative fit and the fact that the writing team was deep into the script before the series had even aired. But hey, there is always the possibility of Penguin season 2 or future The Batman installments.
What we do know is that The Batman Part II is shaping up to be a profoundly personal, mystery-driven dive back into Gotham, and I am so ready for more psychological labyrinth from a focused filmmaker.
The Batman Part II is expected in theaters on October 1, 2027, so the wait is long — but if Matt Reeves delivers the kind of story he’s hinting at, it will undoubtedly be worth every minute.
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