Summary

The Batman Part II has officially entered pre-production with a scheduled filming start date of January 1, 2026.
Casting calls for the movie are expected to go out later this year, potentially revealing which familiar faces will return from the first film.
The movie will not be part of the DC Universe, but rather part of the DC Elseworlds initiative, continuing the Reeves-verse Batman Epic Crime Saga.

Of all the announced-but-not-yet-materialized comic book movies, The Batman Part II might be the most anticipated. Its predecessor was hit with delays due to the pandemic, but still managed to garner critical acclaim and make a killing at the box office.

Director Matt Reeves, who also co-wrote the recently completed script with Mattson Tomlin, will once again be taking audiences back to his gritty, grounded version of Gotham City, where Batman (Robert Pattinson) will face new challenges in the wake of the Riddler's diabolical flooding of the city. The Batman Part II has been in the works for years now, and fans may have just gotten the development they've been waiting for.

The Batman Part II Has Officially Entered Pre-Production And Has A Shooting Start Date

According to Productionlist.com, which is run by the Film and Television Industry Alliance, The Batman Part II has finally entered pre-production, and is eyeing January 1, 2026 as its shooting start date. Providing there are no more unforeseen delays, the long-awaited Batman sequel could finally be seeing some tangible progress. This could also mean more story and character updates for fans as the behind-the-scenes work gets underway. The update from productionlist.com notes that the movie is currently hiring for a number of positions, including "production design, art direction, stunt coordination, costume, makeup, grip, lighting, camera, VFX, and post-production planning."

Since the movie is still shrouded in mystery, there is no telling for sure which villain (or villains) the Dark Knight will be facing this time around. However, it is likely that some familiar faces will be returning from the first movie, including Colin Farrell's Penguin (who got a star turn in his own excellent HBO series), Jeffrey Wright's Commissioner Gordon (who will hopefully be given a more active role this time around), and Andy Serkis's Alfred. Casting calls are expected to go out later this year, so it's likely that by the time the movie starts shooting, we'll have a better idea of who will be appearing in the movie, and just what characters we can look forward to seeing.

Robert Pattinson as Batman and Colin Farrell as Oz Cobb

Plenty of rumors have swirled around about the next movie featuring characters like Mr. Freeze, Hush, and even the Court of Owls. However, nothing has been confirmed. The only thing fans know for sure is that, as James Gunn has repeatedly said, The Batman Part II will remain part of the DC Elseworlds initiative and will not officially be part of the newly formed DCU.

Of course, fans still want to know whether Robert Pattinson's Batman will be transferred to the DCU, but judging by some of Gunn's reactions to that question, it is not likely. What is more likely (unless The Batman Part II just absolutely kills at the box office) is that this will be the final entry in the Reeves-verse, or the "Batman Epic Crime Saga" as it is officially known at DC Studios. Gunn and Peter Safran, the heads of the studio, will likely want to focus on their version of Batman, one that can integrate into their new universe and go on adventures with David Corenswet's Superman. Either way, The Batman Part II is still a long way off, and it's kind of wild to think that there will be a Clayface movie before this hits theaters.