The next villain for The Batman Part II gets teased by Matt Reeves while he also opens up about his involvement with the DC Universe. Following the reimagination of the beloved DC hero in the 2022 film, Robert Pattinson’s journey as the Dark Knight in The Batman universe is just getting started.
The sequel has been in development for several years, following the conclusion of the first film as well as the ending of The Penguin TV show, which expanded the filmmaker’s franchise. Details are currently extremely limited about The Batman Part II story, but as production is geared up to begin in 2026, new clues are finally starting to emerge about the next installment.
In a new interview with the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast, Reeves was asked about collaborating more with James Gunn and DC Studios, including whether or not he has an idea for a DC Universe character he wants to tackle. While addressing their current dynamic, the director also reassured once again that Pattinson’s series of films still remains as an Elseworlds property.
Matt Reeves: We haven’t talked about anything like that. We have had conversations about how things could work and all that kind of stuff, just in general. So, of course, it would be a lot of fun. What I really want to do is play out these stories that we began and arrive at the conclusion I’ve hoped we would arrive at from the beginning. It’s very exciting.
First of all, I’m flattered. That’s very kind of James to say. It would be really exciting to work with them, of course. We’re working with them on [The Batman 2] I mean, it’s a DC, so, like, it’s Elseworld, but it is DC, so it’s theirs as well. What the future brings and what I am doing will become clear when it comes.
The filmmaker was also asked about elaborating more on the new villain for the upcoming sequel, and how he and his writing partner Mattson Tomlin landed on the character they ended up going with in the story. Reeves stressed that the new enemy will be part of something that has never been done before in a movie based on the Gotham City hero, sharing the following:
Matt Reeves: Well, it’s funny, because I had a lot of ideas, and then Mattson Tomlin, who is my writing partner, we began the process of this by doing another deep dive into the comics, exploring the ideas that I’d had, and he gave me some of the ideas he’d had. We sat together and watched a lot of movies, honestly. Not all movies are from the realm of Gotham.
Just to explore where this story…I knew with the way [The Batman] ended, it was leaving us on the precipice. Also, the way events happen in [The Penguin]. There is an exploration to be had, and one of the explorations for me was to do something that pushes even further into the character of Bruce Wayne.
The first story is so much about The Batman. I always wanted in the movies, and let’s say we get to make three—I have no idea—that I always wanted the movies to be focused on his character. A lot of the other films, which I love, once you get past the origin tale, then you start telling the rogues’ gallery story and that character’s arc.
I never wanted to lose Rob at the center of these stories, so that is what we really set our aim on. Picking the right villain that digs into what that does and goes into his past and his life, that was what drove that discussion. We’re super excited about it, and I will say, it’s never really been done in a movie before.
Given how many movies and TV shows have been made in the past about Bruce Wayne’s arc and his many foes, it sounds like whoever will be the main antagonist will be tackled very differently, even if said character has already appeared in live-action. Based on his response, it wouldn’t be shocking if the big bad is retooled similarly to how The Riddler was adapted in 2022.
As it has been widely debated whether or not the two ongoing DC continuities should be merged into one, The Brave and The Bold movie has also already ruled out the British star being the DCU’s Dark Knight. The story focuses on an established take on the hero with an active Bat-Family, meaning that the premise doesn’t connect with what has been established in 2022’s The Batman.
When it comes to his potential future with the DCU, it’s actually already happening, with Reeves and his company, 6th & Idaho Productions, producing the Clayface movie, which is filming right now, and is part of Chapter 1: “Gods and Monsters.” It’s not impossible that, once Pattinson’s trilogy is completed, the filmmaker could take on a character in Gunn’s franchise more in-depth.
After hearing Reeves’ comments about the next villain, it will be exciting to see who they are actually using from the DC canon. With casting likely set to start this fall, it will hopefully not be too long until the world learns who the Dark Knight will face in 2027.
It also makes perfect sense to keep Reeves’ franchise separate, while also leaving the door open for him to explore a different DCU character in the future. As The Batman Part II gets closer to starting principal photography, more details will ideally emerge sooner rather than later.
