James Gunn’s The Batman II Update Means We’ll Be Waiting Longer Than Expected for Sequel

The Batman Part II has been on fans’ minds a lot lately. The first film was a huge splash with fans and while it fell short of the billion-dollar gross that many expected from it, it gave viewers one of the best portrayals of Batman they had ever seen. The Penguin‘s run on MAX showed that fans definitely want more from that world. Add to that the buzz around DC stemming from James Gunn and Peter Safran taking over, and everyone wonders when The Batman Part II will begin filming. However, James Gunn has revealed that earlier reports that the script was ready weren’t entirely accurate.

In September, Matt Reeves, the writer/director of The Batman, revealed to Entertainment Weekly that the script for the second movie was officially finished. However, in an exchange with fans on Sunday, November 17th, James Gunn revealed that earlier report was a bit optimistic. When asked about it on Threads, Gunn said, “I think that report was well-intentioned but it was mistaken. We are very much looking forward to it.”

The position of Batman in the new DCU is a question everyone wants answered. Batman is DC’s most popular character, having eclipsed Superman ages ago, and The Batman is the latest cinematic installment in the character’s oeuvre. The film was set in its own universe, and its dark noir aesthetic, focusing more on the detective aspects of the character than the superhero ones, was entirely different from the most recent Batman, played by Ben Affleck. Fans have been starved for information about the movie’s sequel, although The Penguin series has wet the whistles of those who want to spend more time in the universe set-up by The Batman. Fans dissected the show for clues as to what might happen next in The Batman series of films.

Gunn’s news about The Batman Part II‘s script is a big disappointment to fans of the film. Many have wondered whether The Batman Part II will be the end for this version of Batman, as no one can really conceive of Gunn and Safran’s DCU not having a Batman. However, there is precedent in the comics for more than one version of Batman. In the past, there were multiple multiversal copies of Batman running around, with the Batmans of Earth-One and Earth-Two meeting during the yearly Justice League/Justice Society crossovers in the Silver Age. In the 2010, both Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson wore the mantle of Batman at the same time, so having two Batmen isn’t exactly something new.

It seems fans will have to wait a bit longer for answers to their questions and the premiere of The Batman Part II.