Summary
Matt Reeves’The Batman Part IIhas been pushed back multiple times and now James Gunn shares his thoughts about the delay.
Reeves’The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson, was a great success despite being released shortly after the pandemic. Warner Bros. was very pleased with Reeves' work in giving the movie a “fresh vision.” In April 2022, the studio officially confirmed its sequel, later titledThe Batman Part II, at the CinemaCon. The movie was initially set for release on June 01, 2025, but Warner Bros. pushed it back to July 22, 2025. However, recent reports said the film would not be released until June 18, 2025, giving the first film and anticipated sequel a five-year gap. Gunn, co-chair and co-CEO of DC Studios, reacted to the news.
James Gunn Speaks Out in Defense Over Delay of The Batman Sequel
Many fans have discussed the continuous delay in releasingThe Batman Part IIon social media. Gunn took to Threads and shared his thoughts about the matter, and he seemingly defended Reeves by sharing the timeline of the other projects, which sequels also took over five years. “To be fair, a 5-year gap or more is fairly common in sequels,” Gunn wrote. “7 years betweenAlienandAliens. 14 years betweenIncredibles. 7 years between the first twoTerminators. 13 years betweenAvatars. 36 years betweenTop Guns. And, of course, 6 years betweenGuardians Vol 2andVol 3.”
Gunn also confirmedThe Batmansequel’s 2027 release date by responding to another Threads user asking about a report from The Hollywood Reporter claimingThe Batman Part II’srelease date had been moved twice, from 2025 to 2026 and now to 2027. Gunn attributed the delay to a lack of script. “Sure. Yes, it is true,” Gunnresponded. “The only reason for the delay is there isn’t a full script (those of you who follow me here probably know that already). Matt is committed to making the best film he possibly can, and no one can accurately guess exactly how long a script will take to write. Once there is a finished script, there is around two years for pre-production, shooting and post-production on big films.”
The continuous delay ofThe Batman’ssequel has received mixed responses online. Some were fine with it as long as the next film would be better than the first one. They understood that sequels could take time and acknowledged that Reeves had other projects to attend to. However, some were disappointed because the film had already been moved to 2026, and it was the second time its release date was pushed back.
Reeves is known for being meticulous and prioritizes quality over rushing deadlines, so it’s okay to take his time as long as he delivers. There are high expectations forThe Batman Part IIbecause the first film performed well at the box office, so the sequel should be better. Reeves is already working on the script for the sequel; he previously sharedone of the challenges Batman would facein the upcoming movie. According to the director,Batmanwill have a hard time “when things are in grey” because the sequel will show how the corrupt and dysfunctional system forces the people to change for survival, which could promptBatmanto alter his perception from viewing the bad guys as villains to complex individuals.
The Batman Part IIis expected to hit theaters on June 13, 2025.
