New Batman movie spotted filming at St Pauls Cathedral – and fans have seen a big story spoiler
Swapping Gotham for London's Gothic architecture
London is no stranger to movie magic, with many parts of the city being earmarked by big Hollywood directors as the perfect backdrop for their cinematic escapades. Just think about Alex Garland's Elden Ring spotted in Greenwich or the number of times Bond runs across a very scenic London. Now, it’s DC’s latest Batman flick which has headed to the big smoke for some Gotham-esque scenes – and fans just spotted a huge story spoiler.
Over the weekend, eagle-eyed batheads were gathered around the historic St Paul’s Cathedral in central London as it was transformed into a set for a scene from the upcoming The Batman: Part II — the next entry in Robert Pattinson's take on the cape and cowl hero.
From the videos online, it looks as though St Paul’s was the home for some kind of huge, very official Governmental Courts of Justice where people are protesting and gathering with plenty of placards. However, the big news is a sign that states "Court of Fowls," potentially confirming that the villainous Court of Owls will appear in the sequel. Either that, or it's a hell of an Easter Egg…
The signs held by the extras in shot said things like “One day the Poor will have Nothing” and “The Rich are getting Richer” as well as “Court of Fowls”, all pointing to the villainous Court of Owls.
For those as yet unacquainted, the enigmatic Court of Owls is a criminal organisation and secret society in some of the more modern Batman tales. It is described as a group of the wealthiest and most influential citizens of Gotham City, and has existed since the city's founding. They are completely unknown among its general population outside of an urban legend centered around their reputation for grisly assassinations carried out by indoctrinated agents known as Talons. The group was also referred to as the Parliament of Owls, renaming themselves in a story line about their international expansion from the 2015 comic titled Robin War.
THEY ARE ACTUALLY DOING IT! 🦇🦉🙌 pic.twitter.com/T8oaQ1YNdmSeptember 13, 2026
If the latest flick is featuring the Court of Owls as one of the main adversaries, it won’t be the first time they have appeared on screen. The Court of Owls made their on-screen debut in 2015's animated Batman vs. Robin, making their live-action debut later that same year in the Gotham TV series.
In the New 51 comic arc, The Court of Owls is shown as a violent cabal of some of Gotham City's oldest and wealthiest families who use murder and money to wield political influence throughout history. So far, so completely unrealistic, we can’t imagine that happening in the real world at all... One of the interesting things is the way they are portrayed, with the leaders of the organisation seen wearing white owl masks on their faces — will their style remain unchanged in the upcoming film?
In the comic Nightwing, the gang were seen wearing black owl masks, so there’s a bit of choice to be had. The gang have previously been connected with other characters including Lincoln March, the Raptor, and Dick Grayson – all of which we *might* see in the next Batman sequel.
The Batman Part II is set to be released in December 2028 (after a couple of delays and pushbacks), and so far the plot has been firmly under wraps. In addition to this new easter egg from the filming in London, all we really know is the returning cast, which includes Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon, Colin Farrell as The Penguin, Sebastian Stan as Harvey Dent (Gotham's district attorney who later becomes Batman’s adversary, the villain Two-Face), Scarlett Johansson as Gilda Dent, his wife, and Charles Dance as Charles Dent: Harvey's abusive father.
Supporting cast members returning from The Batman include Jayme Lawson as Bella Reál, the new mayor of Gotham City, and Gil Perez-Abraham as Martinez, a GCPD officer. Sebastian Koch and Brian Tyree Henry have also been cast in undisclosed roles. Barry Keoghan is also expected to reprise his role as the Joker, momentarily teased at the end of Part I.
Skip the search — follow Shortlist on Google News to get our best lists, news, features and reviews at the top of your feeds!
