We finally have the first look for The Batman Part II: Here’s everything we know so far
More delays than the London Underground...
There’s a communal hype that sweeps the world when a big event happens. No, we’re not just talking about the World Cup (it’s a bit of a sore subject) but Batman. The good news is that we’ve finally had an update for one of the most anticipated sequels, the bad is that it might take a little longer than thought.
After what feels like roughly 104 years, we’ve finally got a first proper glimpse at The Batman Part II, courtesy of Matt Reeves, the show’s writer-director who posted a snapshot of a camera test on Vimeo. The clip, although very brief, has already sent fans into a sleuthing frenzy – and by fans, we mean us… Here are six things we spotted.
1. It’s delayed… again
Not a ground breaking observation by any means, but one worth noting The updated release date was unveiled at the end of the footage with February 18th 2028 becoming the new theatrical release date. It’s not exactly a surprise for fans either as the film has already been subjected to severe delays (not to sound like the Northern Line). The Batman (the film’s predecessor) came out in 2022, with the next installment originally planned for October 2026. Then 2027. Now, it's 2028. Hopefully it will be the last one.
2. It’s staying as a standalone franchise
The delays got so bad that at one point there were rumours that Warner Bros. intended to merge Reeve’s Batman-verse with the DC Universe and make Pattinson the only big-screen Caped Crusader rather than having two competing versions. However, the new release date – although an age away – proves that for now, the R-Paz/Reeves Batman-verse is staying as its established stand-alone.
3. The cinematographer may have changed, but the cinematography style hasn’t
Erik Messerschmidt is shooting the movie, having replaced Greig Fraser as the film’s cinematographer. Fraser was a key player in the construction of the gritty, noir styling of The Batman, which in turn was a crucial part of its success. His camera shots and lighting gave the film its darkly stylistic aesthetic, reminiscent of David Fincher. Luckily, the camera test, although brief, shows that the sequel will retain the original’s style and iconography.
4. It’s taking place in winter
Whilst you may associate Batman with Halloween – probably because The Batman (2022) began on Halloween, this sequel is firmly taking place in winter. Speaking of the retained iconography, the mini clip shows snow falling around the dark night sky, lit up by sirens as Batman / RPaz turns slowly around to face the camera.
A snow laden Gotham has the potential to be pretty visually stunning, thanks to the contrast with the dark cinematography and Batman’s signature gothy-emo threads. It will be interesting to see if Reeves takes any inspo from Tim Burton’s Batman Returns which was set during Christmas.
5. Batman could be changing
The brief footage, shared by Reeves on social media, shows Pattinson standing in the rain wearing Batman’s updated suit before turning towards the camera. But, as a fan pointed out, the cowl appeared to have noticeably longer ears than those seen in the first film, which Reeves responded to on X, writing: “You are not crazy.” Does this mean Batman could be undergoing some kind of metamorphosis? Perhaps.
6. We *could* be getting some cameos
We don’t actually know too much about the plot yet, and it's not like the teaser clip was as transparent about returning characters as Avengers: Doomsday was. But, there have already been rumours that we might get a little cameo or tease from the Penguin spin off series, with The Court of Owls (a mysterious organisation within the DC comics) featuring. The potential inclusion of DC characters like Two-Face/ Harvey Dent suggests we could be getting another story about the twisted and corrupt history of Gotham.
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