James Gunn Defends The Batman 2 Delay

When it comes to DC Studios, expectations are sky-high since 2025 marks the big reboot of the universe. But with James Gunn making changes to get the studio’s productions back on track, not every decision has been a win for fans. This is the case with The Batman 2, which got pushed back for the second time late this year. Still, Gunn didn’t seem too bothered and decided to clear things up. Always active on Threads, the DC Studios co-CEO explained that the situation is pretty normal, considering sequels usually have a long gap between movies. The Batman came out in 2022, and now its sequel is set for 2027.

“To be fair, a 5 year gap or more is fairly common in sequels,” he wrote. “7 years between Alien and Aliens. 14 years between Incredibles. 7 years between the first two Terminators. 13 years between Avatars. 36 years between Top Guns. And, of course, 6 years between Guardians Vol 2 and Vol 3,” he said.

The reason? The script, with Gunn saying that Matt Reeves was working hard to make it perfect.With the postponement announced, he also took the chance to explain why the whole process takes so long.

“The only reason for the delay is there isn’t a full script (those of you who follow me here probably know that already),” he shared. “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.” It’s worth mentioning that the first time the film was delayed, the issue seemed to be with the script too.

[RELATED: The Batman Franchise Is Dying From Delays]

All of this isn’t really surprising, considering the studio’s projects have been taking a while to get their scripts approved as well. The director/screenwriter still hasn’t delivered a fully finished screenplay, instead sending it out piece by piece. However, according to a Deadline report, the delay isn’t just because of Reeves’ slow writing but also the 2023 screenwriters’ strike, which disrupted the process. On top of that, the schedule change was also reportedly tied to the director’s personal issues.

Batman is expected to become a trilogy, but the constant delays have left fans feeling frustrated and doubtful, which makes it seem like this might also be part of a strategy tied to next year’s Superman release. As everyone knows, no other DC Studios project is set to drop before Clark Kent’s movie hits theaters, suggesting that even Bruce Wayne had to step aside. It could be a way of waiting to see how things play out. Nothing’s official, but it’s something to think about.

The Batman 2 hits theaters on October 1, 2027.