Matt Reeves confirms The Batman 2 is from DC Elseworlds with a never-before-done villain

The Batman 2 is officially moving into prep, with Robert Pattinson returning as Bruce Wayne in The Batman: Part II and cameras aiming to roll in spring 2026 for an October 1, 2027 theatrical release. Director Matt Reeves says The Batman 2 pushes Bruce/Batman into territory “never been done before in this way,” and he finished the script with Mattson Tomlin before sending it to Pattinson via a high-security, code-locked pouch.

The sequel keeps the detective spine, which is why story details remain tightly held. Cast on deck for The Batman 2 includes Pattinson as Batman, Colin Farrell as Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot, and Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon, with more casting to be clarified as prep advances. The project continues under the DC Elseworlds banner, running parallel to the connected DCU, where a different Dark Knight will headline The Brave and the Bold. This article breaks down what Reeves actually said, how DC Elseworlds frames The Batman 2, and where the villain chatter stands today.

What Matt Reeves said and what it means

Matt Reeves has begun sharing the script with his core team and is formalizing the prep window. In his Emmy red-carpet chat, he laid out the immediate next steps and the schedule. As per The Hollywood Reporter interview with Matt Reeves dated September 15, 2025, Reeves stated,

“We’re basically entering prep… We’ll be making the movie in the spring.”

He also remarked,

“It’s been like a journey that has taken longer than I would have wanted… but most important reason is getting it to a place where I just felt like it was the best script we could possibly write.”

Spoiler control is unusually strict because the sequel is a mystery-driven detective story. Reeves also said,

“Because of what the first movie was and what this movie is, which is so much a detective story, the idea of trying to protect the secrets of the movie is super important because it’s a mystery.”

He then explained the locked-pouch delivery for Pattinson,

“We put it in a… very, very high security pouch that has a code… he was like, I can’t open it… here’s the code… and then we had a FaceTime after he read it.”

On where The Batman 2 takes Bruce, Reeves teased character moves rather than plot specifics. He stated,

“The things that it does for his character, for Batman and for Bruce, I think has never been done before in this way,”

Adding that Pattinson’s reaction was “incredibly encouraging.” The headline translation for readers is simple: The Batman 2 stays grounded in investigation but intends to reroute Bruce’s inner arc. That helps explain the secrecy, the secure script circulation, and the measured pace of announcements as prep gets underway. The first film ended with Gotham half-submerged and Bruce resolving to be more than fear, someone people can follow.

Matt Reeves’ comments imply The Batman 2 will test that vow in a way we haven’t seen on film, threading a mystery case through Bruce’s evolving definition of “protector.” No specifics are public, but the framing suggests the sequel’s final act will pivot on Bruce’s identity choices as much as the case solution, keeping The Batman 2 aligned with a character-first detective model.

DC Elseworlds explained: Where Pattinson’s Batman fits

DC Elseworlds is the banner for projects that stand outside the DCU’s shared continuity. This lets creators build self-contained stories without cross-film obligations while still using DC characters. Pattinson’s saga remains in that lane. The Batman 2 is not required to interlock with the DCU’s The Brave and the Bold, which will feature a different Batman.

Practically, that means parallel Batmen can coexist without timeline knots, and choices in The Batman 2 won’t be constrained by another franchise’s arcs. The Elseworlds label for this series was established alongside the DCU slate reveal and continues to apply to The Batman: Part II.

The Batman 2 villain question: what’s confirmed vs. rumors

 

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Officially, The Batman 2 has no villain revealed. Reeves’ “never-been-done-this-way” remark refers to Bruce/Batman’s journey, not a public character confirmation. Separately, DC Studios leadership has cautioned against rumour-driven shortlists. As per an Instagram thread report dated August 8, 2025, James Gunn stated:

“Guys please stop believing this nonsense. I think six of us have read the script. No one knows anything about The Batman 2.”

He also reiterated that stories about specific inclusions like “Robin” or “Hush” were guesses. That lines up with the tight security around the screenplay and the small circle that has actually read it.

Where that leaves readers: Viewers should treat any “leaks” as speculation until a studio announcement. The safe, on-record facts are that The Batman 2 is a detective-led sequel in active prep, it targets spring 2026 filming and an October 1, 2027, release, and it remains part of DC Elseworlds. Everything beyond that, including the villain, remains under wraps.

Stay tuned for more updates.